It's been a while, I know, just haven't been motivated to sit and write, and when I did feel like I wanted to write, I didn't have access to my laptop to sit and write. So much has happened since I last wrote - been camping the weekend after Thanksgiving, so Brian could hunt with the family, went to Missouri to visit Brian's daughter for Christmas, and went hunting this weekend.
The camping trip over Thanksgiving was fun - I got to tend camp, make fire, and just hang out and read while every one else was hunting.
The trip to Missouri was awesome - Madison is just adorable and we all had a great time with her. She is so tall!
Took my first shot at hunting this weekend, unfortunately I wasn't in position to take the shot at the huge doe we saw, and Brian missed it. Didn't see any other deer worthy of taking, so it was kinda boring. Froze my ass off yesterday afternoon! It was windy, and very cold. We ended our trip after the morning hunt today because the dirt roads were beginning to flood.
Had to go buy a new gas grill today - seems mine had rusted out and the inner workings were falling apart, and of course we figure this problem out when we go to cook dinner. So, needless to say, dinner got postponed about an hour while we went to get a new one and bring it home to set it up. I totally love grilling food, and just wish it wasn't the cold season so I could use it more often.
I am so thankful to be off work the next 2 days - I'm really tired from all the traveling over the past week, and my ankle hurts. Part of it is from Brian goofing around at the hotel in Missouri and jumping on the bed, landing on my ankle, the rest of from wearing my hiking boots all weekend. I'm having a hard time walking barefoot and with slippers, through the house. The only thing that makes my ankle feel better seems to be wearing heels, and I sure as heck ain't doing that til work on Wednesday.
Who has fun plans for New Year's Eve? Not for sure what we are doing, but we did decide not to go to the lake. We have traveled enough in the past few weeks, and we just aren't feeling another roadtrip.
So, folks, have a happy, and SAFE new year's celebration tomorrow night!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Black Friday.....
Here it is, almost 8am on Black Friday, and I'm just sitting around, sipping my coffee. After working in retail almost 11 years, requiring that I actually work on all the Black Fridays (except the one I missed thanks to the birth of my son), I just don't do Black Friday. It's just not worth it to me, to fight the traffic on the roads and the crowds at the stores, to save a few bucks.
Last weekend was a blast - went to USC for the annual Alumni Band game. It started off with a bang, or more like a crash - Friday I was getting ready to take the pups to be boarded, and they saw that I had packed a bag with their food and toys. Needless to say, they were excited to know they were going somewhere, and when I sat on the bed to put on my shoes, Gabriel came rushing up on the bed and smashed his head into the back of mine. I freaking saw stars! Immediate tears, too! He smacked into me so hard I thought he had busted my head open, but thankfully that wasn't the case. Just a goose egg that is still here (smaller than last Friday, but still here), and a very sore scalp.
I also learned while at USC that the band hall is going to be named after the man that was band director when I was there - James K. Copenhaver. That was exciting news. Got to see Mr. Copenhaver at the end of the game, too. And I never really realized just how big the dormitory was that I lived in for 3 years - but in riding around campus, you can see it above pretty much anything else, so yes, it was a tall building.
We took Momma Clydie to see Breaking Dawn Part 2 on Sunday. I haven't seen any of the other movies, or read the books, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Also figured out that the head "bad vampire" was the guy that played Lucian in the Underworld movies.
Mom headed back to England Sunday afternoon - I really wish she could have stayed through Steven's bday on Wednesday and Thanksgiving. She will be back in March and I can't wait to see her again!
Steven's bday was Wednesday - he had a couple of friends and his brother over to hang out, then we took them to Moe's for dinner. I still cannot believe my son is 17 years old!!!! Where does the time go?????
We had a wonderful thanksgiving yesterday - Momma Clydie did 99% of the cooking - and it was yummy!!! But apparently I suffered carb overload or something after we ate and slept away most of the afternoon and evening, and still managed to sleep through the night until someone's freaking cell phone alarm went off at 5am!!! I am not mentioning any names but dammit man, WTH. I am still not sure what happened to me - I didn't eat any more than I would at a normal meal, but I had that groggy, sluggish, drugged feeling I get sometimes, and it almost seems like my sugar is off balance or something. I'm feeling a lot better today so far, and I plan to keep it that way. I hate sleeping the day away like I did yesterday - glad we didn't have company over! LOL
Well folks, time to wrap this up and grab me some breakfast. Got a lot of stuff to do today and I wanna get going with it while I'm still feeling good. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and aren't going too nuts with the Black Friday shit!
Last weekend was a blast - went to USC for the annual Alumni Band game. It started off with a bang, or more like a crash - Friday I was getting ready to take the pups to be boarded, and they saw that I had packed a bag with their food and toys. Needless to say, they were excited to know they were going somewhere, and when I sat on the bed to put on my shoes, Gabriel came rushing up on the bed and smashed his head into the back of mine. I freaking saw stars! Immediate tears, too! He smacked into me so hard I thought he had busted my head open, but thankfully that wasn't the case. Just a goose egg that is still here (smaller than last Friday, but still here), and a very sore scalp.
I also learned while at USC that the band hall is going to be named after the man that was band director when I was there - James K. Copenhaver. That was exciting news. Got to see Mr. Copenhaver at the end of the game, too. And I never really realized just how big the dormitory was that I lived in for 3 years - but in riding around campus, you can see it above pretty much anything else, so yes, it was a tall building.
We took Momma Clydie to see Breaking Dawn Part 2 on Sunday. I haven't seen any of the other movies, or read the books, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Also figured out that the head "bad vampire" was the guy that played Lucian in the Underworld movies.
Mom headed back to England Sunday afternoon - I really wish she could have stayed through Steven's bday on Wednesday and Thanksgiving. She will be back in March and I can't wait to see her again!
Steven's bday was Wednesday - he had a couple of friends and his brother over to hang out, then we took them to Moe's for dinner. I still cannot believe my son is 17 years old!!!! Where does the time go?????
We had a wonderful thanksgiving yesterday - Momma Clydie did 99% of the cooking - and it was yummy!!! But apparently I suffered carb overload or something after we ate and slept away most of the afternoon and evening, and still managed to sleep through the night until someone's freaking cell phone alarm went off at 5am!!! I am not mentioning any names but dammit man, WTH. I am still not sure what happened to me - I didn't eat any more than I would at a normal meal, but I had that groggy, sluggish, drugged feeling I get sometimes, and it almost seems like my sugar is off balance or something. I'm feeling a lot better today so far, and I plan to keep it that way. I hate sleeping the day away like I did yesterday - glad we didn't have company over! LOL
Well folks, time to wrap this up and grab me some breakfast. Got a lot of stuff to do today and I wanna get going with it while I'm still feeling good. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and aren't going too nuts with the Black Friday shit!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Thankful for the Thorns......
My annual Thanksgiving post......
Thankful for the Thorns
Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against aNovember gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze.Then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease. During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son.She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come.
What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer? "Had she lost a child? No - she has no idea what I'm feeling," Sandra shuddered. Thanksgiving? "Thankful for what?" she wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?
"Good afternoon, can I help you?"
The flower shop clerk's approach startled her. "Sorry," said Jenny, "I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you."
"I . . . . I need an arrangement."
"For Thanksgiving?" Sandra nodded."Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the "Thanksgiving Special."
Jenny saw Sandra's curiosity and continued, "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories, that each arrangement insinuates a particular feeling. Are you looking for something that conveys gratitude this Thanksgiving?"
"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted. "Sorry, but in the last five months, everything that could go wrong has."
Sandra regretted her outburst but was surprised when Jenny said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."
The door's small bell suddenly rang. "Barbara! Hi, "Jenny said. She politely excused herself form Sandra and walked toward a small workroom. She quickly reappeared carrying a massive arrangement of green bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Only, the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped, no flowers.
"Want this in a box?" Jenny asked.
Sandra watched for Barbara's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems and no flowers! She waited for laughter, for someone to notice the absence of flowers atop the thorny stems, but neither woman did.
"Yes, please. It's exquisite," said Barbara. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I'd not be so moved by its significance, but it's happening again. My family will love this one. Thanks."
Sandra stared. "Why so normal a conversation about so strange an arrangement?" she wondered.
"Ah, said Sandra, pointing. "That lady just left with, ah . . . ."
"Yes?"
"Well, she had no flowers!"
"Off?"
"Off. Yep. That's the Special. I call it the "Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."
"But, why do people pay for that?" In spite of herself she chuckled.
"Do you rally want to know?"
"I couldn't leave this shop without knowing. I'd think about nothing else!"
"That might be good," said Jenny.
"Well," she continued, "Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today. She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she faced major surgery."
"Ouch!" said Sandra.
"That same year, I lost my husband. I assumed complete responsibility for the shop and for the first time, spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."
"What did you do?"
"I learned to be thankful for thorns.
"Sandra's eyebrows lifted. "Thorns?"
"I'm a Christian, Sandra. I've always thanked God for good things in life and I never thought to ask Him why good things happened to me. But, when bad stuff hit. Did I ever ask! It took time to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the flowers' of life but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."
Sandra gasped. "A friend read that passage to me and I was furious! I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." She started to ask Jenny to "go on" when the door's bell diverted their attention.
"Hey, Phil!" shouted Jenny as a balding, rotund man entered the shop. She softly touched Sandra's arm and moved to welcome him. He tucked her under his side for a warm hug. "I'm here for twelve thorny long-stemmed stems!" Phil laughed, heartily.
"I figured as much," said Jenny. "I've got them ready." She lifted a tissue-wrapped arrangement form the refrigerated cabinet.
"Beautiful," said Phil. "My wife will love them."
Sandra could not resist asking, "These are for your wife?"
Phil saw that Sandra's curiosity matched his when he first heard of a Thorn Bouquet. "Do you mind me asking, 'Why thorns?"
"IN fact, I'm glad you asked, "He said. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but we slogged through, problem by rotten problem. We rescued our marriage - our love, really. Last year, at Thanksgiving, I stopped in here for flowers. I must have mentioned surviving a tough process because Jenny told me that for a long time she kept a vase of rose stems --- stems! --- As a reminder of what she learned from 'thorny' times. That was good enough for me. I took home stems, My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific thorny situation and give thanks for what the problem taught us. I'm pretty sure this stem review is becoming a tradition."
Phil paid Jenny, thanked her again and as he left, said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"
"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life, "Sandra said to Jenny.
"Well, my experience says that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, Sandra, Jesus wore a crown of thorns so that we might know His love. Do not resent thorns."
Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take twelve long-stemmed thorns, please."
"I hoped you would, " Jenny said. "I'll have them ready in a minute. Then, every time you see them, remember to appreciate both good and hard times. We grow through both."
"Thank you. What do I owe you?"
"Nothing. Nothing but a pledge to work toward healing your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." Jenny handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach a card like this to your arrangement but maybe you'd like to read it first. Go ahead, read it."
My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorns! I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear, teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow. George Matheson
I have reposted this every year since I received it a few years back. It's not something I ever thought of before - why in the world would I want to thank God for all the "thorns" in my life that have caused me so much grief, pain, aggravation and disappointments? I have learned a lot over the last decade or two, and it has taken great pain, suffering, aggravation and disappointment for me to reach the point in my life where I am now. We don't truly learn about life and about ourselves until we have suffered in some fashion - God gives us the opportunity to learn and grow through the trials and tribulations that we experience. Many times, we can't make sense of it or find a purpose in it as we are experiencing the difficult times, but eventually, through God's grace, we figure it out and find meaning in it. Maybe not today, maybe not next week or even next year - but He always guides us through and shows us the way.
I'm not a particularly religious person, I find myself questioning some things at times and I just kinda work things out with what makes the most sense to me. But - I do believe we are given the "thorns" in our lives for a reason. So - remember to be thankful for not only the good things in life, but also for those "thorns" that you are pricked with on occasion, for they do serve a purpose in our lives.
Thankful for the Thorns
Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against aNovember gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze.Then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease. During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son.She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come.
What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer? "Had she lost a child? No - she has no idea what I'm feeling," Sandra shuddered. Thanksgiving? "Thankful for what?" she wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?
"Good afternoon, can I help you?"
The flower shop clerk's approach startled her. "Sorry," said Jenny, "I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you."
"I . . . . I need an arrangement."
"For Thanksgiving?" Sandra nodded."Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the "Thanksgiving Special."
Jenny saw Sandra's curiosity and continued, "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories, that each arrangement insinuates a particular feeling. Are you looking for something that conveys gratitude this Thanksgiving?"
"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted. "Sorry, but in the last five months, everything that could go wrong has."
Sandra regretted her outburst but was surprised when Jenny said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."
The door's small bell suddenly rang. "Barbara! Hi, "Jenny said. She politely excused herself form Sandra and walked toward a small workroom. She quickly reappeared carrying a massive arrangement of green bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Only, the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped, no flowers.
"Want this in a box?" Jenny asked.
Sandra watched for Barbara's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems and no flowers! She waited for laughter, for someone to notice the absence of flowers atop the thorny stems, but neither woman did.
"Yes, please. It's exquisite," said Barbara. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I'd not be so moved by its significance, but it's happening again. My family will love this one. Thanks."
Sandra stared. "Why so normal a conversation about so strange an arrangement?" she wondered.
"Ah, said Sandra, pointing. "That lady just left with, ah . . . ."
"Yes?"
"Well, she had no flowers!"
"Off?"
"Off. Yep. That's the Special. I call it the "Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."
"But, why do people pay for that?" In spite of herself she chuckled.
"Do you rally want to know?"
"I couldn't leave this shop without knowing. I'd think about nothing else!"
"That might be good," said Jenny.
"Well," she continued, "Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today. She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she faced major surgery."
"Ouch!" said Sandra.
"That same year, I lost my husband. I assumed complete responsibility for the shop and for the first time, spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."
"What did you do?"
"I learned to be thankful for thorns.
"Sandra's eyebrows lifted. "Thorns?"
"I'm a Christian, Sandra. I've always thanked God for good things in life and I never thought to ask Him why good things happened to me. But, when bad stuff hit. Did I ever ask! It took time to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the flowers' of life but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."
Sandra gasped. "A friend read that passage to me and I was furious! I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." She started to ask Jenny to "go on" when the door's bell diverted their attention.
"Hey, Phil!" shouted Jenny as a balding, rotund man entered the shop. She softly touched Sandra's arm and moved to welcome him. He tucked her under his side for a warm hug. "I'm here for twelve thorny long-stemmed stems!" Phil laughed, heartily.
"I figured as much," said Jenny. "I've got them ready." She lifted a tissue-wrapped arrangement form the refrigerated cabinet.
"Beautiful," said Phil. "My wife will love them."
Sandra could not resist asking, "These are for your wife?"
Phil saw that Sandra's curiosity matched his when he first heard of a Thorn Bouquet. "Do you mind me asking, 'Why thorns?"
"IN fact, I'm glad you asked, "He said. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but we slogged through, problem by rotten problem. We rescued our marriage - our love, really. Last year, at Thanksgiving, I stopped in here for flowers. I must have mentioned surviving a tough process because Jenny told me that for a long time she kept a vase of rose stems --- stems! --- As a reminder of what she learned from 'thorny' times. That was good enough for me. I took home stems, My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific thorny situation and give thanks for what the problem taught us. I'm pretty sure this stem review is becoming a tradition."
Phil paid Jenny, thanked her again and as he left, said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"
"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life, "Sandra said to Jenny.
"Well, my experience says that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, Sandra, Jesus wore a crown of thorns so that we might know His love. Do not resent thorns."
Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take twelve long-stemmed thorns, please."
"I hoped you would, " Jenny said. "I'll have them ready in a minute. Then, every time you see them, remember to appreciate both good and hard times. We grow through both."
"Thank you. What do I owe you?"
"Nothing. Nothing but a pledge to work toward healing your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." Jenny handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach a card like this to your arrangement but maybe you'd like to read it first. Go ahead, read it."
My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorns! I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear, teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow. George Matheson
I have reposted this every year since I received it a few years back. It's not something I ever thought of before - why in the world would I want to thank God for all the "thorns" in my life that have caused me so much grief, pain, aggravation and disappointments? I have learned a lot over the last decade or two, and it has taken great pain, suffering, aggravation and disappointment for me to reach the point in my life where I am now. We don't truly learn about life and about ourselves until we have suffered in some fashion - God gives us the opportunity to learn and grow through the trials and tribulations that we experience. Many times, we can't make sense of it or find a purpose in it as we are experiencing the difficult times, but eventually, through God's grace, we figure it out and find meaning in it. Maybe not today, maybe not next week or even next year - but He always guides us through and shows us the way.
I'm not a particularly religious person, I find myself questioning some things at times and I just kinda work things out with what makes the most sense to me. But - I do believe we are given the "thorns" in our lives for a reason. So - remember to be thankful for not only the good things in life, but also for those "thorns" that you are pricked with on occasion, for they do serve a purpose in our lives.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
What I'm Thankful for.....
I see a lot of folks doing the 30 days of thankfulness for November and the month of Thanksgiving. I'm not gonna participate - there are just so many things I am thankful for, 30 days just isn't enough! But, to scratch the surface, here are some of the many people and things I am very thankful for, in no particular order:
*my son - I have learned so much from him, and have been able to teach him so much as well. It has been such a pleasure and joy to watch him grow up and become a young man. I think he is a well-balanced, well-rounded person, and he can argue the blue off a wall.
*my mom - while she is so far away most of the year in England, she is always there for me in some fashion. I can depend on her to vent to, cry to, or just gossip and chat with. She and I have always been close, and this distance is very difficult at times, but that just means we have to make the most of the times she's at home.
*my mother-in-law - she is such a wonderful person - she came into our home at a time when I really needed someone to be there with me, in a physical presence. She kept me from hiding away in the darkness of my room every night, suffering silently in loneliness and depression, taking my mind off of missing my husband and the stress of dealing with life while he was deployed. She's also been like a mom to me, and oh how I appreciate that with my mother being gone most of the year. I don't know what I would have done without her these last 8 or so months!
*my husband - never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would find a man that would love me in the way that he does - he accepts me, all of me, flaws, bitchiness and all. Even across the distance that we faced over his deployment, he was there for me as much as he could be, if not via phone or Skype, then in spirit. He knows just how to pick me up when I'm feeling down, and what to say when I'm hating life for one reason or another.
*my job - I am very thankful in this economy, to be employed.
*our dogs - yes, they are a pain in the ass sometimes, but they are so much company and comfort at times and are such loving creatures. They also provide a lot of entertainment, as they know how to entertain themselves wrestling and playing chase.
*my health - I'm not in perfect health, but I'm relatively healthy. I am able to go and do pretty much whatever I want to, and there are far too many people in the world who cannot.
I feel so blessed to know the people that I know, and to have the opportunities in life that I have earned and those I have been given. I hope you all have enough to live, to be happy, and to grow in your lives.
*my son - I have learned so much from him, and have been able to teach him so much as well. It has been such a pleasure and joy to watch him grow up and become a young man. I think he is a well-balanced, well-rounded person, and he can argue the blue off a wall.
*my mom - while she is so far away most of the year in England, she is always there for me in some fashion. I can depend on her to vent to, cry to, or just gossip and chat with. She and I have always been close, and this distance is very difficult at times, but that just means we have to make the most of the times she's at home.
*my mother-in-law - she is such a wonderful person - she came into our home at a time when I really needed someone to be there with me, in a physical presence. She kept me from hiding away in the darkness of my room every night, suffering silently in loneliness and depression, taking my mind off of missing my husband and the stress of dealing with life while he was deployed. She's also been like a mom to me, and oh how I appreciate that with my mother being gone most of the year. I don't know what I would have done without her these last 8 or so months!
*my husband - never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would find a man that would love me in the way that he does - he accepts me, all of me, flaws, bitchiness and all. Even across the distance that we faced over his deployment, he was there for me as much as he could be, if not via phone or Skype, then in spirit. He knows just how to pick me up when I'm feeling down, and what to say when I'm hating life for one reason or another.
*my job - I am very thankful in this economy, to be employed.
*our dogs - yes, they are a pain in the ass sometimes, but they are so much company and comfort at times and are such loving creatures. They also provide a lot of entertainment, as they know how to entertain themselves wrestling and playing chase.
*my health - I'm not in perfect health, but I'm relatively healthy. I am able to go and do pretty much whatever I want to, and there are far too many people in the world who cannot.
I feel so blessed to know the people that I know, and to have the opportunities in life that I have earned and those I have been given. I hope you all have enough to live, to be happy, and to grow in your lives.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Just chugging along.....
I'm still around, just haven't felt like writing lately. There's a lot going on - hubby is back in America, going through the process to see about getting his shoulder operated on. I haven't been feeling well, still fighting that allergy/sinus/bronchitis crap. They even put me on the Levaquin for a week, and it didn't make a dent in it. I'm still taking the 24hr sudafed and the mucinex, and the congestion seems to be getting better, but it's still there and driving me nuts.
I'm feeling really under the weather this weekend. We took the dogs to the dog park this morning and when we got home I crawled back in bed with my friend the heating pad. Stayed in bed for over 3 hours, most of it spent sleeping, after having a whiny, woe-is-me moment.
Been to the car wash to get all the hair out of the truck and then Walmart for lasagna fixins. I love Brian's lasagna! It is so good. I hope I have at least a little bit of an appetite by the time it's ready tonight. I've just not really felt like eating this weekend, but I get all shaky and weak feeling if I don't, so I guess I'll be eating some whether I'm up for it or not.
Damn the infomercials on whatever channel this is. This makes a couple of weekends in a row that I haven't been glued to SyFy for a change. Or the Bio channel for the ghost story stuff on Saturdays. Or Travel Channel on Friday night for Ghost Adventures.
Mom will be in the USA on Wednesday. I can't wait to see her. She'll be here for a month, but will be doing some travelling while here - going on a cruise with her friends, and taking my grandother to Biloxi or somewhere to go to the casinos and shop.
Steven ordered chinese delivery the other night for us and his friends - my fortune was not very nice - it said something about needing to better acquaint myself with my exercise routine or something. Nothing that wasn't the truth, but damn. Fortune cookies are supposed to say nice things! LOL
The last few months have been a bitch when it comes to the gym - between surgery, and being sick, and other shit going on, it's been difficult to go. Not to mention they are jacking with the class schedules. Right now, my interval class is Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I'm going to try to make it to each of those, at least the Tues/Thurs classes, and find something else to do the other days.
Speaking of surgery - it's been a total success! And believe me, since Brian's been home, it's really been tested - I have laughed so hard, so many times, and so far, so good. I still have that worry that I will have an issue, but so far, no problems. A friend of my mom's has decided to have the surgery, too, after reading about the success I've had with mine. That's why I don't mind sharing things on here - I just may help someone by sharing my troubles and successes, and it looks like this lady is going to get some relief from such a common problem we women face.
Well I hope you all have been doing well, and have a great week.
I'm feeling really under the weather this weekend. We took the dogs to the dog park this morning and when we got home I crawled back in bed with my friend the heating pad. Stayed in bed for over 3 hours, most of it spent sleeping, after having a whiny, woe-is-me moment.
Been to the car wash to get all the hair out of the truck and then Walmart for lasagna fixins. I love Brian's lasagna! It is so good. I hope I have at least a little bit of an appetite by the time it's ready tonight. I've just not really felt like eating this weekend, but I get all shaky and weak feeling if I don't, so I guess I'll be eating some whether I'm up for it or not.
Damn the infomercials on whatever channel this is. This makes a couple of weekends in a row that I haven't been glued to SyFy for a change. Or the Bio channel for the ghost story stuff on Saturdays. Or Travel Channel on Friday night for Ghost Adventures.
Mom will be in the USA on Wednesday. I can't wait to see her. She'll be here for a month, but will be doing some travelling while here - going on a cruise with her friends, and taking my grandother to Biloxi or somewhere to go to the casinos and shop.
Steven ordered chinese delivery the other night for us and his friends - my fortune was not very nice - it said something about needing to better acquaint myself with my exercise routine or something. Nothing that wasn't the truth, but damn. Fortune cookies are supposed to say nice things! LOL
The last few months have been a bitch when it comes to the gym - between surgery, and being sick, and other shit going on, it's been difficult to go. Not to mention they are jacking with the class schedules. Right now, my interval class is Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I'm going to try to make it to each of those, at least the Tues/Thurs classes, and find something else to do the other days.
Speaking of surgery - it's been a total success! And believe me, since Brian's been home, it's really been tested - I have laughed so hard, so many times, and so far, so good. I still have that worry that I will have an issue, but so far, no problems. A friend of my mom's has decided to have the surgery, too, after reading about the success I've had with mine. That's why I don't mind sharing things on here - I just may help someone by sharing my troubles and successes, and it looks like this lady is going to get some relief from such a common problem we women face.
Well I hope you all have been doing well, and have a great week.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Just...not....feeling....it......
Yeah, I'm just not feeling it. I'm sick with those damn infernal fall allergies. I went to the doctor on Tuesday afternoon, got a shot of rocephin and a shot of steroids, plus Flonase and told I could double up on my Sudafed and Mucinex for 24 hours, and that I should be better. Well, I doubled the pills Tuesday night, crashed at 945pm, woke up a short while later for tinkle time, then was up again at 12am, 1am, 120am, 2am, 3am, 320am, then was bright eyed and bushy tailed for the 520am alarm. How in the world I didn't totally crash on Wednesday, after getting so little sleep Tuesday night, I will never know, but I managed to make it through the day.
Needless to say, due to sickness, I haven't made it to the gym this week. That totally sucks! I did still walk the dogs every morning for the usual .75miles, and this morning I did the 1.5mile walk to the pond and back. I'm hoping I have it in me tomorrow to do that 1.5mile walk in the morning, but I've seemed to take a turn for the worse with this cold or whatever it is, and just don't know. I'm coughing up a storm, that damn deep cough I get plagued with every year, so I'm gonna have to really kick it into high gear to get rid of this shit before Brian comes home.
Speaking of Brian coming home - he is back in the good old USA!!! Not sure yet when he will be back home in GA, but at least we are back on the same time zone again. I am so looking forward to him being home, I just can't stand it! These last few days/weeks of him being so close but yet so far are worse than him being across the world! The anticipation is driving me nuts!!!
Oh well I will just have to sit tight and wait....he will be here eventually.....nighty night folks.....
Needless to say, due to sickness, I haven't made it to the gym this week. That totally sucks! I did still walk the dogs every morning for the usual .75miles, and this morning I did the 1.5mile walk to the pond and back. I'm hoping I have it in me tomorrow to do that 1.5mile walk in the morning, but I've seemed to take a turn for the worse with this cold or whatever it is, and just don't know. I'm coughing up a storm, that damn deep cough I get plagued with every year, so I'm gonna have to really kick it into high gear to get rid of this shit before Brian comes home.
Speaking of Brian coming home - he is back in the good old USA!!! Not sure yet when he will be back home in GA, but at least we are back on the same time zone again. I am so looking forward to him being home, I just can't stand it! These last few days/weeks of him being so close but yet so far are worse than him being across the world! The anticipation is driving me nuts!!!
Oh well I will just have to sit tight and wait....he will be here eventually.....nighty night folks.....
Monday, September 10, 2012
I know, I know....it's been a while.....
Not even sure how long it's been since I last wrote - weeks? Not much has been going on. Dealing with crushing fatigue at times, I think some is the after effects of the surgery anesthesia, the rest? I don't know. I'm dealing with it by trying to push myself to go to the gym and walking the dogs on longer and longer walks.
I didn't keep up with the walking 1.5miles every day - I was so out of shape again after not doing a lot from surgery, it's taking me a while to build the endurance back up. I do the long walks on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and manage to go about .75miles most mornings with the boys, provided they don't lolly-gag too much.
I tried the new Turbo class last Wednesday night, also called 3G - Glutes, Guns & Guts. I did interval on Thursday, and the new Power class on Friday. Wed's Turbo really wore my glutes out, and my guns were shot by Friday. Next week the interval class will be back on Tuesdays, so if I go to each of the classes I like, I will be at the gym Tuesday through Saturday most weeks, and still be walking 1.5miles a day on Saturday & Sunday, and .75miles Monday through Friday.
We hit the farmers market Saturday - got some more butterbeans, crowder peas, and picked up 40lbs of sweet potatoes for $10. Got the beans and peas canned, and Momma Clydie will be working on the sweet potatoes a little at a time during the week. And I don't know if I mentioned this before, but the food saver that I bought back in the late spring - that was the best $50 I think I have ever spent. We have a small chest freezer that is chock full of veggies and sliced peaches, sealed up courtesy of the food saver. It comes in handy when we buy bulk meat and separate it into normal meal-sized portions. So much better to buy in bulk for that stuff!
I am starting to get really excited - my hubby will be home soon!!! I cannot wait until he gets home!!!
I didn't keep up with the walking 1.5miles every day - I was so out of shape again after not doing a lot from surgery, it's taking me a while to build the endurance back up. I do the long walks on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and manage to go about .75miles most mornings with the boys, provided they don't lolly-gag too much.
I tried the new Turbo class last Wednesday night, also called 3G - Glutes, Guns & Guts. I did interval on Thursday, and the new Power class on Friday. Wed's Turbo really wore my glutes out, and my guns were shot by Friday. Next week the interval class will be back on Tuesdays, so if I go to each of the classes I like, I will be at the gym Tuesday through Saturday most weeks, and still be walking 1.5miles a day on Saturday & Sunday, and .75miles Monday through Friday.
We hit the farmers market Saturday - got some more butterbeans, crowder peas, and picked up 40lbs of sweet potatoes for $10. Got the beans and peas canned, and Momma Clydie will be working on the sweet potatoes a little at a time during the week. And I don't know if I mentioned this before, but the food saver that I bought back in the late spring - that was the best $50 I think I have ever spent. We have a small chest freezer that is chock full of veggies and sliced peaches, sealed up courtesy of the food saver. It comes in handy when we buy bulk meat and separate it into normal meal-sized portions. So much better to buy in bulk for that stuff!
I am starting to get really excited - my hubby will be home soon!!! I cannot wait until he gets home!!!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
It's been awhile......
I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post. Goes to show you that life is sometimes boring and nothing exciting happens sometimes. Main reason I haven't written is that I just haven't had the energy to put 2 thoughts together and sit and type them out on here. Ever since my surgery on the 8th, I've been fatigued, which I imagine is just a side effect of the anesthesia.
I went back to work last week on Tuesday, the 14th, only missing 4 days of work. After the first 2 days, I was kinda wishing I had stayed out another couple of days. Not due to pain but to the fatigue and exhaustion. I didn't have pain at all once I went back to work, and haven't taken any tylenol since just 2 days after surgery. But getting up so early in the mornings has been kicking my ass, as well as not getting my daily naps I got for a few days.
This past Saturday, I was worn out - absolutely exhausted. Gabriel woke me up at 5:15am, making that lovely wretching sound in the bed. I got him off the bed but couldn't get him out of my room in time before he "earped" (a word my Meme loves) 3 times. I knew the dogs would want to pee, so after I cleaned up the "earp", I put Gabriel on the runner and let Dominion run around the yard for a few minutes. I was so tired at this point, and all I could think about was getting back in bed.
We got back in bed, and I managed to go back to sleep for a few hours. I woke up somewhere around 8 or 9am, and was still so physically exhausted that I just couldn't fathom even attempting to walk the dogs, so it was back on the runner again. I spent the entire day laying in bed, napping, watching tv and farting around on the laptop. I did manage a run to Walmart to pick up an Rx and some cold meds, as I know the congestion was playing hell on me as well - my chest was tight and I had that deep cough trying to creep in on me that I get sometimes.
Back to the grind at work again this week, I've been crashing shortly after dinner every night. Tonight, as well as the last 2-3 nights, I wake up anywhere between 10:30pm - 1am, check messages and go back to bed. It's like I can't get enough sleep, but the way my body feels, I'm getting too much sleep. My back is stiff and achy from being in bed so much, but I just don't have the energy to do anything. I think a good bit of that is that I'm not going to the gym - doctor's orders until my follow-up next week. I so hope he releases me to go back to working out regularly!
I did take a long walk with the dogs tonight - we normally just walk down to the corner store and back, which round trip is maybe 1/3 of a mile. Tonight we walked to the pond on Hastings Bridge and including the lap we made around the pond, it was probably a 1.5mile walk. The pups were dragging by the time we got home, and my legs and ass were hurting a little from the walk. It's amazing how much stamina you lose after missing just 2-3 weeks in the gym! I'm going to try to do this walk every day until the doctor releases me back to the gym, so I'll already be building some stamina back up in a slow and easy manner. I know I'm in for a rude awakening when I do get back to the gym, but I think I'm ready for it!
Good thing the boys didn't see the deer that I saw on our walk this morning - I woulda had my ass dragged across the street and into the woods had they seen her! Dominion heard her, snorting and stamping her feet, and was staring hard at where she was hiding in the woods, but he never saw her. I have pretty good control over the dogs, but if they were to see something that really interested them, like something they both wanted to chase, they would definitely test my ability to control them.
Well folks it's time for me to hit the hay - I hope you've all had a great 13 days without me! Have a wonderful rest of the week!
I went back to work last week on Tuesday, the 14th, only missing 4 days of work. After the first 2 days, I was kinda wishing I had stayed out another couple of days. Not due to pain but to the fatigue and exhaustion. I didn't have pain at all once I went back to work, and haven't taken any tylenol since just 2 days after surgery. But getting up so early in the mornings has been kicking my ass, as well as not getting my daily naps I got for a few days.
This past Saturday, I was worn out - absolutely exhausted. Gabriel woke me up at 5:15am, making that lovely wretching sound in the bed. I got him off the bed but couldn't get him out of my room in time before he "earped" (a word my Meme loves) 3 times. I knew the dogs would want to pee, so after I cleaned up the "earp", I put Gabriel on the runner and let Dominion run around the yard for a few minutes. I was so tired at this point, and all I could think about was getting back in bed.
We got back in bed, and I managed to go back to sleep for a few hours. I woke up somewhere around 8 or 9am, and was still so physically exhausted that I just couldn't fathom even attempting to walk the dogs, so it was back on the runner again. I spent the entire day laying in bed, napping, watching tv and farting around on the laptop. I did manage a run to Walmart to pick up an Rx and some cold meds, as I know the congestion was playing hell on me as well - my chest was tight and I had that deep cough trying to creep in on me that I get sometimes.
Back to the grind at work again this week, I've been crashing shortly after dinner every night. Tonight, as well as the last 2-3 nights, I wake up anywhere between 10:30pm - 1am, check messages and go back to bed. It's like I can't get enough sleep, but the way my body feels, I'm getting too much sleep. My back is stiff and achy from being in bed so much, but I just don't have the energy to do anything. I think a good bit of that is that I'm not going to the gym - doctor's orders until my follow-up next week. I so hope he releases me to go back to working out regularly!
I did take a long walk with the dogs tonight - we normally just walk down to the corner store and back, which round trip is maybe 1/3 of a mile. Tonight we walked to the pond on Hastings Bridge and including the lap we made around the pond, it was probably a 1.5mile walk. The pups were dragging by the time we got home, and my legs and ass were hurting a little from the walk. It's amazing how much stamina you lose after missing just 2-3 weeks in the gym! I'm going to try to do this walk every day until the doctor releases me back to the gym, so I'll already be building some stamina back up in a slow and easy manner. I know I'm in for a rude awakening when I do get back to the gym, but I think I'm ready for it!
Good thing the boys didn't see the deer that I saw on our walk this morning - I woulda had my ass dragged across the street and into the woods had they seen her! Dominion heard her, snorting and stamping her feet, and was staring hard at where she was hiding in the woods, but he never saw her. I have pretty good control over the dogs, but if they were to see something that really interested them, like something they both wanted to chase, they would definitely test my ability to control them.
Well folks it's time for me to hit the hay - I hope you've all had a great 13 days without me! Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Quotations....just because.....
Here's some quotes I've found in various places online lately. Just because I'm posting these, doesn't necessarily mean any of them apply to anyone I know or any particular situation going on. I just happened to like the quotes and wanted to share them, and this is as good a place as any.
*I may have a strong personality on the outside, but I'm full of insecurity on the inside.
*I just wish that for one day, I could truly speak my mind and tell people what I really think about them. Unfortunately, I am too damn nice for my own good.
*I'm the kind of girl that laughs at horror movies. Do you really want to mess with me?
*If I was a bird, I know who I'd shit on!
*The best love is the one you fell in accidentally. The strongest love is the one you fell in unexpectedly. The truest love is the one you fell in wholeheartedly.
*Telling someone with depression to just get over it is like telling someone ina wheelchair to just get up and walk.
*Most people will try to be the sun shining down on you on your brightest day. I will be the moonlight shining down on you on your darkest night.
*Happiness is not a goal, but a decision. Life is 1% what happens to you, and 99% how you react to it.
*It's very easy for someone to take sides when they only know one of them.
*The next time you judge someone or their situation, keep in mind, most people who make it look great on the outside most likely have a very dark and messy inside.
*Do not search for happiness in anything other than yourself, because no matter what you think, your happiness only lies in your own heart, not in external things.
*You can lie to me or my loved ones all you want, but I always find out. I may not say anything but knowing is good enough.
*There are some things better left unsaid, but you can bet your sweet ass I'm going to say them anyway!
So that's it for tonight - I hope you got a chuckle out of at least one of these, and perhaps some of the others made you think about how they may fit some part of your life. But to say this again - none of these are aimed at any one or any situation - they are just quotations I wanted to share.
*I may have a strong personality on the outside, but I'm full of insecurity on the inside.
*I just wish that for one day, I could truly speak my mind and tell people what I really think about them. Unfortunately, I am too damn nice for my own good.
*I'm the kind of girl that laughs at horror movies. Do you really want to mess with me?
*If I was a bird, I know who I'd shit on!
*The best love is the one you fell in accidentally. The strongest love is the one you fell in unexpectedly. The truest love is the one you fell in wholeheartedly.
*Telling someone with depression to just get over it is like telling someone ina wheelchair to just get up and walk.
*Most people will try to be the sun shining down on you on your brightest day. I will be the moonlight shining down on you on your darkest night.
*Happiness is not a goal, but a decision. Life is 1% what happens to you, and 99% how you react to it.
*It's very easy for someone to take sides when they only know one of them.
*The next time you judge someone or their situation, keep in mind, most people who make it look great on the outside most likely have a very dark and messy inside.
*Do not search for happiness in anything other than yourself, because no matter what you think, your happiness only lies in your own heart, not in external things.
*You can lie to me or my loved ones all you want, but I always find out. I may not say anything but knowing is good enough.
*There are some things better left unsaid, but you can bet your sweet ass I'm going to say them anyway!
So that's it for tonight - I hope you got a chuckle out of at least one of these, and perhaps some of the others made you think about how they may fit some part of your life. But to say this again - none of these are aimed at any one or any situation - they are just quotations I wanted to share.
Thursday.....
Had my surgery yesterday - wasn't that bad of an experience afterall. Long story short - was home by 10am and so far have only had to take 1 pain pill. I'm just taking tylenol for now, so we'll see how that works for me. I did have some pretty bad pains earlier today, not sure if was surgery or my normal mid-month pains. Whatever it was, didn't last long thankfully and I'm back to just being a little sore.
My dogs have been laying with me when I've been in bed - they are doing their part to take care of me I suppose. Steven helped me out last night, warming up dinner for me (I slept through dinner because of that 1 pain pill I had), and he got up and walked the dogs this morning. Thank goodness for Momma Clydie being here to help out - she's taking great care of me and I'm thankful for her being here with me!
Not sure when I'll be back at work, I suppose it will depend on how I'm feeling next week. I don't go back to the doctor for 3 weeks, and I know I'm not supposed to be out that long - I suppose I will give them a call on Monday to see what they have to say, as the doctor didn't mention it yesterday.
Okay folks, I don't have a lot to say right now, just tired and a little sore. Thanks for those of you that were thinking of me, and of the prayers that were said on my behalf. It is much appreciated!
My dogs have been laying with me when I've been in bed - they are doing their part to take care of me I suppose. Steven helped me out last night, warming up dinner for me (I slept through dinner because of that 1 pain pill I had), and he got up and walked the dogs this morning. Thank goodness for Momma Clydie being here to help out - she's taking great care of me and I'm thankful for her being here with me!
Not sure when I'll be back at work, I suppose it will depend on how I'm feeling next week. I don't go back to the doctor for 3 weeks, and I know I'm not supposed to be out that long - I suppose I will give them a call on Monday to see what they have to say, as the doctor didn't mention it yesterday.
Okay folks, I don't have a lot to say right now, just tired and a little sore. Thanks for those of you that were thinking of me, and of the prayers that were said on my behalf. It is much appreciated!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Another week......
Pre-op was today - had to stick me twice to get my blood. I thought it kinda funny that the doctor is running a pregnancy test "just to make sure" - I told him I haven't seen my husband since R&R 2 months ago and have had 2 "normal for me" periods - and he just gave me a sly smile and talked about all the "immaculate conceptions" and "baby Jesuses" he's delivered over the years due to women claiming to not have had sex in months, or since their husbands were deployed. Well, I can assure you - this woman is not a cheater, and would never ever consider fooling around on her husband!
Surgery is scheduled for August 8. Unless something changes, as I was told today was possible - I have to be there at 6am. That sure sucks! Awful early in the morning! But this will be so worth it once it's done and overwith and I'm all healed up.
Dominion and Gabriel got into a fight this afternoon right before I got home. Steven called me, worried about Dominion, as he was sneezing blood. Apparently Gabriel got him right in the crook of his nostril, and we all know noses bleed bad when injured. He appears to be okay now, so I'm just gonna have to keep an eye on them. Steven had separated them until I could get home and examine Dominion, and as soon as they got back together, they almost got into it again. That was almost 3 hours ago, and fortunately they have settled down and are leaving each other alone for now.
Had a great time at my brother's mountain cabin weekend before last. Very relaxing, other than running after the boys. They had a great time running around, sniffing things they'd never seen before. And the brother's dogs were rather accepting of my boys, to an extent anyway. LOL
Well folks, I have a few things I want to get done tonight, so it's time to move on. I hope you all have a great week, and it'll probably be sometime after surgery day before I update again. Wish me luck!
Surgery is scheduled for August 8. Unless something changes, as I was told today was possible - I have to be there at 6am. That sure sucks! Awful early in the morning! But this will be so worth it once it's done and overwith and I'm all healed up.
Dominion and Gabriel got into a fight this afternoon right before I got home. Steven called me, worried about Dominion, as he was sneezing blood. Apparently Gabriel got him right in the crook of his nostril, and we all know noses bleed bad when injured. He appears to be okay now, so I'm just gonna have to keep an eye on them. Steven had separated them until I could get home and examine Dominion, and as soon as they got back together, they almost got into it again. That was almost 3 hours ago, and fortunately they have settled down and are leaving each other alone for now.
Had a great time at my brother's mountain cabin weekend before last. Very relaxing, other than running after the boys. They had a great time running around, sniffing things they'd never seen before. And the brother's dogs were rather accepting of my boys, to an extent anyway. LOL
Well folks, I have a few things I want to get done tonight, so it's time to move on. I hope you all have a great week, and it'll probably be sometime after surgery day before I update again. Wish me luck!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Not bad for a Monday.....
Why am I just now seeing the Delta faucet commercial with all the hot men that have various uniforms painted on their bodies, and they're using the Delta shower hoses to "wash the day away"???? Yummy!
Finally did my nails tonight. It's been quite a while (like, well over a month) since I did my nails last. Painted the toenails at the beginning of the month, but haven't done the nails since England, I think. I got funky tonight, too - I have some little flower decals and rhinestones, and put some of those on the toes and a finger. :-)
It was nice tonight that I got outside and started to cut the grass, and my son came and took the lawn mower away from me. Technically, cutting the grass became his chore back when I had my foot surgery, but I honestly don't mind doing it on occasion. Tonight, I didn't mind it, but I didn't think I could physically complete the task. But, in watching him mow, I can tell he needs some serious schooling on how to more efficiently cut the grass. Not to mention, it drives me nuts that he leaves little thin strips of places where he's missed, and that just won't do! lol I am very thankful that he willingly cuts the grass, though, and I just point out the missed spots and he goes back and takes care of them.
There's not a damn thing on tv tonight that I care to watch. I used to really like Criminal Minds, but it is so dark, I just can't watch it anymore. It's so hard to believe how cruel some people can be - I know that show is fictional, perhaps based on some true stories at times, but it makes me think about the real cases out there that are so cruel. Like the shooting in Aurora last week at the Batman movie. I just don't get why someone feels the need to do that. It's just beyond me.....
Haven't had a bad start to the week, here's to hoping the rest of the week is just as good......
Finally did my nails tonight. It's been quite a while (like, well over a month) since I did my nails last. Painted the toenails at the beginning of the month, but haven't done the nails since England, I think. I got funky tonight, too - I have some little flower decals and rhinestones, and put some of those on the toes and a finger. :-)
It was nice tonight that I got outside and started to cut the grass, and my son came and took the lawn mower away from me. Technically, cutting the grass became his chore back when I had my foot surgery, but I honestly don't mind doing it on occasion. Tonight, I didn't mind it, but I didn't think I could physically complete the task. But, in watching him mow, I can tell he needs some serious schooling on how to more efficiently cut the grass. Not to mention, it drives me nuts that he leaves little thin strips of places where he's missed, and that just won't do! lol I am very thankful that he willingly cuts the grass, though, and I just point out the missed spots and he goes back and takes care of them.
There's not a damn thing on tv tonight that I care to watch. I used to really like Criminal Minds, but it is so dark, I just can't watch it anymore. It's so hard to believe how cruel some people can be - I know that show is fictional, perhaps based on some true stories at times, but it makes me think about the real cases out there that are so cruel. Like the shooting in Aurora last week at the Batman movie. I just don't get why someone feels the need to do that. It's just beyond me.....
Haven't had a bad start to the week, here's to hoping the rest of the week is just as good......
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Well, shit......
Here I sit on a Saturday night, not having accomplished everything I wanted to do today. I did get the aquarium cleaned out and refilled, with much help from Momma Clydie. The big black angelfish isn't looking real happy right now, he's moping around and staying in the corner. The rest of the fish seem happy and are busy exploring.
I had wanted to clean some of the house today, but it took so much outta me to clean the tank, plus we dropped Steven and CJ off at the movies this morning and had to go pick them back up, so that broke up the day and took up some time. Not to mention that after dropping them off, we had to go to Petsmart, Home Depot, Truett's, Sports Authority and Publix, before going back home.
Once we picked the boys up, we had to hit Walmart for a few more things. Got home, chatted with the hubs and grilled hot dogs. Now here I sit, on the couch, watching Celebrity Ghost Stories on the Bio channel, trying to decide what to snack on next.
I haven't felt well today - only had 1 cup of coffee, so maybe that's the problem (I normally have 2). We dropped the boys off, and when we were in Petsmart I started feeling kind of dizzy and light-headed, so when we finished there, we went to eat at Truett's, then headed to Home Depot. I still didn't feel well, but we continued on, as there were things to do. I finally got past the yucky feeling and was able to get busy with the aquarium when we got home. Part of me thinks my sugar levels were screwy because I had a drink last night that had strawberry daiquiri mix in it, and I think that mix really played a mess with my sugar.
I had a horrible dream last night, one apparently so bad that I woke up sobbing. Unfortunately, I can't for the life of me remember what the dream was about. I just know that I woke up in the middle of the night with this feeling of utter loneliness, hopelessness, and extreme sadness and despair. I laid there, crying for a few minutes, and drifted back to sleep. I just hate it when I have dreams, whether good or bad, and I can't remember them.
Anyways, got a lot of shit to get done this weekend - there's a lot of things I want to get done before I go to bed tomorrow night. I hope I can find the motivation and energy in me tomorrow to get everything accomplished. I hope you all have a great weekend!
I had wanted to clean some of the house today, but it took so much outta me to clean the tank, plus we dropped Steven and CJ off at the movies this morning and had to go pick them back up, so that broke up the day and took up some time. Not to mention that after dropping them off, we had to go to Petsmart, Home Depot, Truett's, Sports Authority and Publix, before going back home.
Once we picked the boys up, we had to hit Walmart for a few more things. Got home, chatted with the hubs and grilled hot dogs. Now here I sit, on the couch, watching Celebrity Ghost Stories on the Bio channel, trying to decide what to snack on next.
I haven't felt well today - only had 1 cup of coffee, so maybe that's the problem (I normally have 2). We dropped the boys off, and when we were in Petsmart I started feeling kind of dizzy and light-headed, so when we finished there, we went to eat at Truett's, then headed to Home Depot. I still didn't feel well, but we continued on, as there were things to do. I finally got past the yucky feeling and was able to get busy with the aquarium when we got home. Part of me thinks my sugar levels were screwy because I had a drink last night that had strawberry daiquiri mix in it, and I think that mix really played a mess with my sugar.
I had a horrible dream last night, one apparently so bad that I woke up sobbing. Unfortunately, I can't for the life of me remember what the dream was about. I just know that I woke up in the middle of the night with this feeling of utter loneliness, hopelessness, and extreme sadness and despair. I laid there, crying for a few minutes, and drifted back to sleep. I just hate it when I have dreams, whether good or bad, and I can't remember them.
Anyways, got a lot of shit to get done this weekend - there's a lot of things I want to get done before I go to bed tomorrow night. I hope I can find the motivation and energy in me tomorrow to get everything accomplished. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Blah.....weekend's almost over.....
Damn, the weekend is almost over. We went to the lake on Friday afternoon and had a pretty good time. Got to do a little fishing, a little swimming, some good eatin', and some napping in the late afternoon.
I'm in a funk.....lots of things going on, lots of things going through my mind. Having weird dreams that I don't understand or like. So much going on in my life - house-hunting, missing my husband (thank God he comes home in about 3 months or so), having some of my business get out that I didn't want shared with others, and finding out some things that I thought were resolved regarding a certain situation aren't resolved.
I am still looking for a house - there is one that I was quite interested in back in February that went off the market, that I discovered this weekend may be back on the market. Gotta talk to my agent to see what the deal is with that one. At this rate, though, even if I find the perfect house tomorrow, I doubt we'll be moved into it in time to get Steven started at the new school right off the bat, he'll end up having to transfer.
Husband will be home soon, and I can't wait! Can't really give details about it, as there are rules regarding keeping the info on a need-to-know basis, and the general public doesn't need to know.
I found out this weekend that some information that I didn't want shared with certain other people, was in fact, shared. I know where the "leaks" are, so that will be taken care of and dealt with, as in - no more information will be shared with those that are leaking it to others that don't need to know.
In reference to the issue I thought was resolved - I'm just not going there, other than to say - if you don't know 100% of the situation, then you don't need to share your misguided and misinformed opinion.
My bladder lift procedure is scheduled for August 8th. I can't wait to do this and get it overwith, so I don't have to worry about whizzing on myself every time I sneeze or cough or laugh too hard. It will be nice to be able to do jumping jacks in interval class, and perhaps to take up running, without worrying about an accident.
I don't mind sharing info about this surgery, as it is a common problem, and is only embarrassing to discuss when there's an accident to have to deal with. Once I go through the procedure - if any of you have any questions regarding the procedure, please feel free to message me and ask.
Well folks, I'm tired and I may go crawl in bed early. My boys are drowsy from their medication for today's ride home. Hopefully they'll sleep well tonight, too. I hope everyone has a great Monday!
I'm in a funk.....lots of things going on, lots of things going through my mind. Having weird dreams that I don't understand or like. So much going on in my life - house-hunting, missing my husband (thank God he comes home in about 3 months or so), having some of my business get out that I didn't want shared with others, and finding out some things that I thought were resolved regarding a certain situation aren't resolved.
I am still looking for a house - there is one that I was quite interested in back in February that went off the market, that I discovered this weekend may be back on the market. Gotta talk to my agent to see what the deal is with that one. At this rate, though, even if I find the perfect house tomorrow, I doubt we'll be moved into it in time to get Steven started at the new school right off the bat, he'll end up having to transfer.
Husband will be home soon, and I can't wait! Can't really give details about it, as there are rules regarding keeping the info on a need-to-know basis, and the general public doesn't need to know.
I found out this weekend that some information that I didn't want shared with certain other people, was in fact, shared. I know where the "leaks" are, so that will be taken care of and dealt with, as in - no more information will be shared with those that are leaking it to others that don't need to know.
In reference to the issue I thought was resolved - I'm just not going there, other than to say - if you don't know 100% of the situation, then you don't need to share your misguided and misinformed opinion.
My bladder lift procedure is scheduled for August 8th. I can't wait to do this and get it overwith, so I don't have to worry about whizzing on myself every time I sneeze or cough or laugh too hard. It will be nice to be able to do jumping jacks in interval class, and perhaps to take up running, without worrying about an accident.
I don't mind sharing info about this surgery, as it is a common problem, and is only embarrassing to discuss when there's an accident to have to deal with. Once I go through the procedure - if any of you have any questions regarding the procedure, please feel free to message me and ask.
Well folks, I'm tired and I may go crawl in bed early. My boys are drowsy from their medication for today's ride home. Hopefully they'll sleep well tonight, too. I hope everyone has a great Monday!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Ho hum.....
Who turned the thermostat to HELL????? It is so freaking hot here, in some areas of the US this week, it has actually been hotter than Saudi Arabia. Amazing. So much for a mild winter, we're paying for that shit now.
It's too hot to go to the pool - I think I would burn to a crisp in about 10 minutes flat. Not to mention I think the water is probably so warm it wouldn't be refreshing and cooling to get into.
I've dropped my car off to get new tires and perhaps brakes, damn I hate automotive maintenance stuff. Nothing ever comes cheap, and it all seems to hit at once. But, it's a necessity, so we'll deal with it.
No plans this weekend, other than going to see "Magic Mike" tomorrow. Major eye candy.....love me some Matthew McEverhowyouspellhislastname, Channing Tatum's not too bad, the hispanic guy from CSI Miami, Joe Mantagniello (that's probably spelled wrong but woot woot he's hot). And Kevin Nash is in it. Not exactly my cup of tea, Nash, but hey....it takes all kinds.
Went to look at some houses the other night - first one was nice, move-in ready, but the bedrooms were a little small, the closets were way too small, and it was on a road that was just way too busy. The 2nd one was quite lovely, but would have taken a lot of elbow grease to get the paint right and I wanted something with a little more room inside, as in an extra bedroom, a basement, or a den area, any of those as an extra would have been great. The third one - you could tell it probably was once a very nice place, but it was in what I would consider a "white trash" area. It shared a driveway with 2 other homes, and the driveway was actually red clay with gravel, and filled with gullies (no offense meant to anyone that lives on a dirt road or doesn't have a paved driveway - this was the total atmosphere of the area, not one specific thing). The other 2 homes on the driveway were kinda junky looking and not well kept. It also would have needed a lot of work on the inside and out to make it liveable, but it had an awesome floor plan.
Times like now would be great to win the lottery - then I could just pick a house, or go have one built exactly like I want. Guess I need to head to the store soon and buy me some lottery tickets. :-)
Y'all stay cool, and try to find something fun to do this weekend. Movies is it for me.
It's too hot to go to the pool - I think I would burn to a crisp in about 10 minutes flat. Not to mention I think the water is probably so warm it wouldn't be refreshing and cooling to get into.
I've dropped my car off to get new tires and perhaps brakes, damn I hate automotive maintenance stuff. Nothing ever comes cheap, and it all seems to hit at once. But, it's a necessity, so we'll deal with it.
No plans this weekend, other than going to see "Magic Mike" tomorrow. Major eye candy.....love me some Matthew McEverhowyouspellhislastname, Channing Tatum's not too bad, the hispanic guy from CSI Miami, Joe Mantagniello (that's probably spelled wrong but woot woot he's hot). And Kevin Nash is in it. Not exactly my cup of tea, Nash, but hey....it takes all kinds.
Went to look at some houses the other night - first one was nice, move-in ready, but the bedrooms were a little small, the closets were way too small, and it was on a road that was just way too busy. The 2nd one was quite lovely, but would have taken a lot of elbow grease to get the paint right and I wanted something with a little more room inside, as in an extra bedroom, a basement, or a den area, any of those as an extra would have been great. The third one - you could tell it probably was once a very nice place, but it was in what I would consider a "white trash" area. It shared a driveway with 2 other homes, and the driveway was actually red clay with gravel, and filled with gullies (no offense meant to anyone that lives on a dirt road or doesn't have a paved driveway - this was the total atmosphere of the area, not one specific thing). The other 2 homes on the driveway were kinda junky looking and not well kept. It also would have needed a lot of work on the inside and out to make it liveable, but it had an awesome floor plan.
Times like now would be great to win the lottery - then I could just pick a house, or go have one built exactly like I want. Guess I need to head to the store soon and buy me some lottery tickets. :-)
Y'all stay cool, and try to find something fun to do this weekend. Movies is it for me.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Yay, it's Friday!
I live for the weekends. Peace from the days of the week, and the knowledge that I will stay busy with searching for deals at farmers market to fix up to fill our freezers. The past 2 weekends, we've been to the Farmers Market in Forest Park, and have put up purple hull peas, green snap beans, butterbeans, white acre peas, peaches, corn, turnips, and collards. We are going to the local farmers market in Jonesboro tomorrow for it's opening day of the year, and if we don't find much, then we'll head to the one in Forest Park.
We're looking for Roma tomatoes, perhaps a different kind of bean or pea, and maybe some squash and sweet potatoes. I think we're gonna can some salsa and pickled peppers tomorrow, too. :-D
I try to stay busy at work these days, things are getting tougher, but that's the work environment for you. Things are settling down some, but there are still some issues. That's life!
Finally got Momma Clydie's aneurysm fixed this past week. She has done very well, and Michael has been gracious enough to come hang out with her so that I could work.
I think I'm still fighting the effects of being in a different time zone for 2 weeks and coming back. I stay exhausted all the time, usually falling asleep right after dinner. Yet, I wake up around 4am or so, and usually fall right back asleep after a quick bathroom run. Then I usually get up the first time the alarm goes off, without hitting the snooze, so at least that's good. I just don't like falling asleep so early in the afternoon.
We ate at Olympia Pizza last week, and I dearly love the Greek salads. Especially the pepperoncinis. To the point that I have craved them all week! I actually went to the grocery store this afternoon, got the stuff to make the salad, and also got a Mediterranean pizza. I think I ate half the jar of pepperoncinis! They were sooooo good!!!!
Well I'm getting sleepy, so I suppose it's time to wind things down for the night. I hope you've all had a great night, and will have a great weekend!
We're looking for Roma tomatoes, perhaps a different kind of bean or pea, and maybe some squash and sweet potatoes. I think we're gonna can some salsa and pickled peppers tomorrow, too. :-D
I try to stay busy at work these days, things are getting tougher, but that's the work environment for you. Things are settling down some, but there are still some issues. That's life!
Finally got Momma Clydie's aneurysm fixed this past week. She has done very well, and Michael has been gracious enough to come hang out with her so that I could work.
I think I'm still fighting the effects of being in a different time zone for 2 weeks and coming back. I stay exhausted all the time, usually falling asleep right after dinner. Yet, I wake up around 4am or so, and usually fall right back asleep after a quick bathroom run. Then I usually get up the first time the alarm goes off, without hitting the snooze, so at least that's good. I just don't like falling asleep so early in the afternoon.
We ate at Olympia Pizza last week, and I dearly love the Greek salads. Especially the pepperoncinis. To the point that I have craved them all week! I actually went to the grocery store this afternoon, got the stuff to make the salad, and also got a Mediterranean pizza. I think I ate half the jar of pepperoncinis! They were sooooo good!!!!
Well I'm getting sleepy, so I suppose it's time to wind things down for the night. I hope you've all had a great night, and will have a great weekend!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Frustrated......
Just one of those days.
I'm glad to be home, but I'm not.
I miss my husband. Badly.
I'm having trouble getting motivated to go to the gym and really get into working out hard, unless there is a class that I really like going to, and those don't always happen every day, at a time that fits into my schedule. Not going to the gym, and not working hard, is effecting my emotions and my thoughts about stuff.
There's a lot of stuff I need to be doing around the house, and I'm just not feeling it.
I need to win the lottery. Dammit!!!! That would solve some of my problems (as in no longer having to work :-) )
Apparently something in my sports bra was tasty to the dogs, or at least one of them (Gabriel, I'm assuming) - got home this afternoon and it was wet. No damage, so it wasn't chewed on, but apparently whichever dog sucked it or licked it til it was soaked. Reminds me now that I need to wash it and let it dry before I go to bed.
So, there's something I need to go do now. I know, this is a screwed up, jumbled around post, but that's the way my mind has been working lately.
Tomorrow's Hump Day - I hope it's a better one than the last Hump Day.
I'm glad to be home, but I'm not.
I miss my husband. Badly.
I'm having trouble getting motivated to go to the gym and really get into working out hard, unless there is a class that I really like going to, and those don't always happen every day, at a time that fits into my schedule. Not going to the gym, and not working hard, is effecting my emotions and my thoughts about stuff.
There's a lot of stuff I need to be doing around the house, and I'm just not feeling it.
I need to win the lottery. Dammit!!!! That would solve some of my problems (as in no longer having to work :-) )
Apparently something in my sports bra was tasty to the dogs, or at least one of them (Gabriel, I'm assuming) - got home this afternoon and it was wet. No damage, so it wasn't chewed on, but apparently whichever dog sucked it or licked it til it was soaked. Reminds me now that I need to wash it and let it dry before I go to bed.
So, there's something I need to go do now. I know, this is a screwed up, jumbled around post, but that's the way my mind has been working lately.
Tomorrow's Hump Day - I hope it's a better one than the last Hump Day.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Glad to be home!
Got home this past Tuesday afternoon. While I am glad to be back in the US, I already miss my husband terribly, and have had to deal with some other stuff that has about driven me out of my mind. But here's to my trip home:
Uneventful, for the most part, at the airport in Manchester. I got flagged for "additional screening" as I was preparing to board the plane, so I got the "pat-down/grope-fest" by a British female security officer, had to remove my shoes (something you don't normally have to do when flying in the UK), and had my carry-on stuff plundered.
I was seated in an aisle seat next to a young British woman who seemed pleasant enough. Until we started to take off and she started barfing in the air sickness bag. Bless her heart - she was trying to be discrete, and did do a pretty good job of that, as I didn't realize she was sick until she'd been "coughing" for several minutes.
Before take-off, there was a screaming toddler behind me, constantly whining and crying. Thank God that stopped after take off, I would have lost my mind had that kid screamed throughout the flight - never heard a peep from him after take-off.
I managed to finish reading one book - "He is Legend" - a collection of new short stories written to honor Richard Matheson. Stephen King and his son collaborated to write one of the stories, and it was good, as were most of the other stories in the collection.
I also worked on a cross-stitch project I had started in England, and almost finished it. Damn needle broke when I was doing the last of the finishing touches. I had to get a new set of needles, and I finished the project on Wednesday night.
Apparently when I fly, I'm a fart magnet. I don't know why, but both on the flight over, and the flight back, I noticed an unpleasant odor would pop up every now and then. And no, it wasn't me! And it couldn't have been Steven, as he wasn't with me for the return home (he's staying in England until July 2).
Of course my seat-mate got sit again on the descent, and apparently attracted a LOT of attention from a flight attendant, who kept bringing her bags and wet towels and stuff. I had tuned her out, literally, by plugging in my headphones and cranking the sound up really loud to the movie that was still playing. I did NOT want to hear puke sounds as we landed!
Once we landed, I made a bee-line to the ladies room to put my contacts in, and then I headed towards customs and baggage claim. It seemed like I had walked a mile, then I realized - OH SHIT I LEFT MY CARRY-ON IN THE LADIES ROOM!!!! I went back and was taken to the customs area for passengers who are catching connecting flights, and security was checking my bag. I was so embarassed, and I got a lecture from once of the guards about how much trouble this could have caused, but all-in-all, they were both very nice to me.
Had to go through additional screening at customs by the agriculture department, apparently just a routine, random screening, then I was done. Went to eat at our mexican restaurant, and then picked up my boys from the kennel. Boy were they glad to see me and me them! Took them to the dog park for a run then settled in at home.
Been a hellish week back for reasons I'm not going to discuss, but suffice it to say that I wish I was still in England, or that I would win a mega-lottery and be able to do whatever I want with certain aspects of my life.
I've also managed to hurt both big toes now, one at work on Wednesday morning, the other one just a little while ago this afternoon. Oh well, I've got to be more careful with what I'm doing I suppose.
Anyways, I'm practicing my grill skills right now, and trying to get ready to start a fresh week at work. I hope you've all had a great time living vicariously through me, with the blogs and photos on Facebook from my travels these past few weeks, but now it's time to get back to the daily monotony that is my life. Hope you all had a great weekend, and here's to a happy Monday.
Uneventful, for the most part, at the airport in Manchester. I got flagged for "additional screening" as I was preparing to board the plane, so I got the "pat-down/grope-fest" by a British female security officer, had to remove my shoes (something you don't normally have to do when flying in the UK), and had my carry-on stuff plundered.
I was seated in an aisle seat next to a young British woman who seemed pleasant enough. Until we started to take off and she started barfing in the air sickness bag. Bless her heart - she was trying to be discrete, and did do a pretty good job of that, as I didn't realize she was sick until she'd been "coughing" for several minutes.
Before take-off, there was a screaming toddler behind me, constantly whining and crying. Thank God that stopped after take off, I would have lost my mind had that kid screamed throughout the flight - never heard a peep from him after take-off.
I managed to finish reading one book - "He is Legend" - a collection of new short stories written to honor Richard Matheson. Stephen King and his son collaborated to write one of the stories, and it was good, as were most of the other stories in the collection.
I also worked on a cross-stitch project I had started in England, and almost finished it. Damn needle broke when I was doing the last of the finishing touches. I had to get a new set of needles, and I finished the project on Wednesday night.
Apparently when I fly, I'm a fart magnet. I don't know why, but both on the flight over, and the flight back, I noticed an unpleasant odor would pop up every now and then. And no, it wasn't me! And it couldn't have been Steven, as he wasn't with me for the return home (he's staying in England until July 2).
Of course my seat-mate got sit again on the descent, and apparently attracted a LOT of attention from a flight attendant, who kept bringing her bags and wet towels and stuff. I had tuned her out, literally, by plugging in my headphones and cranking the sound up really loud to the movie that was still playing. I did NOT want to hear puke sounds as we landed!
Once we landed, I made a bee-line to the ladies room to put my contacts in, and then I headed towards customs and baggage claim. It seemed like I had walked a mile, then I realized - OH SHIT I LEFT MY CARRY-ON IN THE LADIES ROOM!!!! I went back and was taken to the customs area for passengers who are catching connecting flights, and security was checking my bag. I was so embarassed, and I got a lecture from once of the guards about how much trouble this could have caused, but all-in-all, they were both very nice to me.
Had to go through additional screening at customs by the agriculture department, apparently just a routine, random screening, then I was done. Went to eat at our mexican restaurant, and then picked up my boys from the kennel. Boy were they glad to see me and me them! Took them to the dog park for a run then settled in at home.
Been a hellish week back for reasons I'm not going to discuss, but suffice it to say that I wish I was still in England, or that I would win a mega-lottery and be able to do whatever I want with certain aspects of my life.
I've also managed to hurt both big toes now, one at work on Wednesday morning, the other one just a little while ago this afternoon. Oh well, I've got to be more careful with what I'm doing I suppose.
Anyways, I'm practicing my grill skills right now, and trying to get ready to start a fresh week at work. I hope you've all had a great time living vicariously through me, with the blogs and photos on Facebook from my travels these past few weeks, but now it's time to get back to the daily monotony that is my life. Hope you all had a great weekend, and here's to a happy Monday.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Coming to an end....
Today is my last day in Southport.....Marion and I took my husband to the airport this morning so he can fly back to his deployment station in Kosovo. Damn, I hated seeing him go. We have had such a wonderful time together these past 12 days - sure the traveling and sightseeing was great, but it was even better just to be able to spend time with him. But, he is more than half-way finished with this deployment, so we are on the short side of the whole deal before he gets home, and I can't wait!!!!!
The weather here has been wonderful, up until Thursday. It was rainy and drizzly a good bit of the past 4 days. Rainy all day yesterday, so we stayed in, surfed the net, and watched the Robin Hood movie with Russell Crowe. And of course today, it is beautiful again, sunshiny and will be a little on the warm side (nothing like Georgia has been lately, but quite comfortably warm).
The food here - I have had nothing bad, but then again I only ate one traditional English food - fish and chips, and that was quite good. Experienced 2 different Italian restaurants, an Argentina steak house, some other type of steak house in Liverpool, and a few other local places. Everything wasa beautiful, itsa mah favorite (inside joke with Salvatorre).
Friday I cooked my damn enchildas for dinner for everyone. They don't sell Velveeta cheese here, so I had to improvise with monterrey jack sliced cheese and some grated "mature" cheese (aged cheddar), nor do they sell Ro*Tel tomatoes (had to use tomatoes with chillies and peppers) and it was actually quite good, better than the usual recipe. Mom bought some Cadbury cake rolls (like Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls) and some type of snowball treat - Marion bit into a snowball and wow - he was excited at how good they were (Mom said he musta had an orgasm lol).
Oh I almost forgot - our trip to York Thursday - we went to the York Minster, which was very nice, and the Jorvik Viking Museum. That was quite interesting - it was actually a ride that went through part of the exhibit, showing what a viking community may have been like, and then of course various artifacts, drawings, and skeletons. At one point, there was a display of an actual human fecal specimen (yep, a turd), and an explanation of how it was found and what their diet would have been like.
So at dinner that evening (we ate at El Gaucho, I believe was the name, it was an Argentina steakhouse), Mom says "did you all see the babe ruth that was stuck up on the wall at the viking place?" We were all like "huh?" Took us a minute, then Marion starts laughing and says "of all the things for you to remember and to strike you as interesting, you had to bring up the turd on display". Talk about loud, raucous laughter! I laughed until I cried!
I managed to laugh to the point of tears 3 different times over the past 12 days. I haven't done that in quite a long time, and it was good to get that kind of release. This has been a wonderful vacation, one that was busy yet relaxed, with plenty of things to do and see, yet plenty of down time for relaxing and just doing nothing.
And of course the nightmares are starting up, the ones about going back to work. I had one last night, not sure what to make of it, but I've already decided today that I'm not going to let it bother me, or taint my thoughts about returning to work on Wednesday. Work is what it is, and I will make the best of it, regardless of the circumstances.
I hope you all have had a great weekend, and will have a wonderful week. I head back to the USA tomorrow, and back to my "normal" life, at least as normal as it can be with a deployed husband, and a son I'm leaving in England for another month. Gonna get home, get me some mexican food for dinner, and pick up my furbabies and let them have a nice run and play at the park.
Thank you Mom and Marion for a wonderful experience in England, thank you to my dear husband for taking his R&R in England, and I thank God for save travels for all of us.
The weather here has been wonderful, up until Thursday. It was rainy and drizzly a good bit of the past 4 days. Rainy all day yesterday, so we stayed in, surfed the net, and watched the Robin Hood movie with Russell Crowe. And of course today, it is beautiful again, sunshiny and will be a little on the warm side (nothing like Georgia has been lately, but quite comfortably warm).
The food here - I have had nothing bad, but then again I only ate one traditional English food - fish and chips, and that was quite good. Experienced 2 different Italian restaurants, an Argentina steak house, some other type of steak house in Liverpool, and a few other local places. Everything wasa beautiful, itsa mah favorite (inside joke with Salvatorre).
Friday I cooked my damn enchildas for dinner for everyone. They don't sell Velveeta cheese here, so I had to improvise with monterrey jack sliced cheese and some grated "mature" cheese (aged cheddar), nor do they sell Ro*Tel tomatoes (had to use tomatoes with chillies and peppers) and it was actually quite good, better than the usual recipe. Mom bought some Cadbury cake rolls (like Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls) and some type of snowball treat - Marion bit into a snowball and wow - he was excited at how good they were (Mom said he musta had an orgasm lol).
Oh I almost forgot - our trip to York Thursday - we went to the York Minster, which was very nice, and the Jorvik Viking Museum. That was quite interesting - it was actually a ride that went through part of the exhibit, showing what a viking community may have been like, and then of course various artifacts, drawings, and skeletons. At one point, there was a display of an actual human fecal specimen (yep, a turd), and an explanation of how it was found and what their diet would have been like.
So at dinner that evening (we ate at El Gaucho, I believe was the name, it was an Argentina steakhouse), Mom says "did you all see the babe ruth that was stuck up on the wall at the viking place?" We were all like "huh?" Took us a minute, then Marion starts laughing and says "of all the things for you to remember and to strike you as interesting, you had to bring up the turd on display". Talk about loud, raucous laughter! I laughed until I cried!
I managed to laugh to the point of tears 3 different times over the past 12 days. I haven't done that in quite a long time, and it was good to get that kind of release. This has been a wonderful vacation, one that was busy yet relaxed, with plenty of things to do and see, yet plenty of down time for relaxing and just doing nothing.
And of course the nightmares are starting up, the ones about going back to work. I had one last night, not sure what to make of it, but I've already decided today that I'm not going to let it bother me, or taint my thoughts about returning to work on Wednesday. Work is what it is, and I will make the best of it, regardless of the circumstances.
I hope you all have had a great weekend, and will have a wonderful week. I head back to the USA tomorrow, and back to my "normal" life, at least as normal as it can be with a deployed husband, and a son I'm leaving in England for another month. Gonna get home, get me some mexican food for dinner, and pick up my furbabies and let them have a nice run and play at the park.
Thank you Mom and Marion for a wonderful experience in England, thank you to my dear husband for taking his R&R in England, and I thank God for save travels for all of us.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Saturday in Southport
It's been a busy week. Since my last post last weekend, about going to Liverpool, we've been to London for 2 days, spent Wednesday as a boys day/girls day out (Mom and I went into town shopping and had lunch, and Brian and Steven went with Marion to look at properties for his business), and we spent the night in York with Mom and Marion.
Monday, Brian, Steven and I left for London via the rail system. I'd never traveled by train before, and it was quite interesting. We got to see a lot of countryside, and city areas, as we traveled the 2+ hr ride to London via Liverpool. Our hotel was interesting, too - very small room with 3 twin beds, and a bathroom "closet" whose size rivaled that of a cruise ship bathroom (very tiny, for those of you that have never seen or heard of the size of bathrooms on cruise ships). We took a cab over to the Westminster Abbey area, and took a lot of photos of various things there.
We ended up going on the bus tour through London, stopping to see lots of different sites, and taking a ton of pictures, all of which are posted on my Facebook. On Tuesday, we did the tour at St Paul's Cathedral. Let me tell you - that was an absolutely breathtaking experience that nearly brought me to tears from the beauty and the magnitude of what I was seeing. Unfortunately, photographs inside aren't permitted, so I wasn't able to take photos of the things that moved me in such a way I just really can't explain my feelings about it.
At the Cathedral, you have the opportunity to climb to a point that is at the top of the rotunda, which is very close to the very top of the actual cathedral. This climb involves approximately 530 steps, mostly on spiral staircases. See - the cathedral is 365 feet high to the highest point at the top of the cross. It's 257 steps to the first level, called the Whispering Gallery, then another 99 steps to the Stone Gallery, then another 174 steps to the Golden Gallery.
We (well, Brian and I) had not planned to walk to the top, but Steven did, and we didn't want him alone in a foreign country, and he darted ahead of us. So.....here we go, up the stairs. The first 257 weren't bad - they were solid wooden stairs like you'd have at home, except they were in a sprial staircase. The Whispering Gallery is interesting, but my fear of heights got me moving onto the next level (the gallery is basically a ring around the cathedral dome, with a railing to keep you from falling, but I have my weirdness about stuff like that and just couldn't stay far enough away from the edge).
The next set of steps was mostly spiral metal stairs, the kind that you can see through and that was out in the open, which sparks my fear of heights. And you had to climb through this really narrow stone set of stairs (only about 10 or so steps), that had no handrails to hold onto, and I ended up sort of crawling up those and out into the Stone Gallery. This area is basically a circle around the outside of the dome, so we got to get a good view of the city from there.
The last set of steps was also the spiral metal ones, out in the open inside the building, and just before you got outside, there was a hole in the floor (covered by glass of course), that showed how high you were - you could see all the way down to the cathedral floor through this window in the floor. When you went out to the Golden Gallery, it was another ring outside the dome, at the very top, probably about 300 feet from the ground. Yep, I was terrified being up there, but it was so neat to be able to see all that we saw from there. Of course, Steven had the camera, and he had already passed this point and started his descent, so I wasn't sure what photos he had taken. (he only took about 5 photos, one of course a self-portrait).
We also did the tour through the Tower of London on Tuesday, then headed back to Southport. I also discovered at the drug store, that you can buy a codeine/tylenol product over the counter with no prescription. I needed this, as I was having some pains from my back due to all the walking, and other assorted pains. But codeine, over the counter?
Wednesday Mom and I window shopped and had lunch at Sal's (the Italian restaurant they frequent), and just had a lazy day all around. Thursday we left for York for an overnight trip with Mom and Marion, and I'll blog about that later. I'm about blogged out at the moment, plus I need to get ready to go into town here in a bit.
I hope everyone has had a wonderful week, and will have a wonderful weekend.
Monday, Brian, Steven and I left for London via the rail system. I'd never traveled by train before, and it was quite interesting. We got to see a lot of countryside, and city areas, as we traveled the 2+ hr ride to London via Liverpool. Our hotel was interesting, too - very small room with 3 twin beds, and a bathroom "closet" whose size rivaled that of a cruise ship bathroom (very tiny, for those of you that have never seen or heard of the size of bathrooms on cruise ships). We took a cab over to the Westminster Abbey area, and took a lot of photos of various things there.
We ended up going on the bus tour through London, stopping to see lots of different sites, and taking a ton of pictures, all of which are posted on my Facebook. On Tuesday, we did the tour at St Paul's Cathedral. Let me tell you - that was an absolutely breathtaking experience that nearly brought me to tears from the beauty and the magnitude of what I was seeing. Unfortunately, photographs inside aren't permitted, so I wasn't able to take photos of the things that moved me in such a way I just really can't explain my feelings about it.
At the Cathedral, you have the opportunity to climb to a point that is at the top of the rotunda, which is very close to the very top of the actual cathedral. This climb involves approximately 530 steps, mostly on spiral staircases. See - the cathedral is 365 feet high to the highest point at the top of the cross. It's 257 steps to the first level, called the Whispering Gallery, then another 99 steps to the Stone Gallery, then another 174 steps to the Golden Gallery.
We (well, Brian and I) had not planned to walk to the top, but Steven did, and we didn't want him alone in a foreign country, and he darted ahead of us. So.....here we go, up the stairs. The first 257 weren't bad - they were solid wooden stairs like you'd have at home, except they were in a sprial staircase. The Whispering Gallery is interesting, but my fear of heights got me moving onto the next level (the gallery is basically a ring around the cathedral dome, with a railing to keep you from falling, but I have my weirdness about stuff like that and just couldn't stay far enough away from the edge).
The next set of steps was mostly spiral metal stairs, the kind that you can see through and that was out in the open, which sparks my fear of heights. And you had to climb through this really narrow stone set of stairs (only about 10 or so steps), that had no handrails to hold onto, and I ended up sort of crawling up those and out into the Stone Gallery. This area is basically a circle around the outside of the dome, so we got to get a good view of the city from there.
The last set of steps was also the spiral metal ones, out in the open inside the building, and just before you got outside, there was a hole in the floor (covered by glass of course), that showed how high you were - you could see all the way down to the cathedral floor through this window in the floor. When you went out to the Golden Gallery, it was another ring outside the dome, at the very top, probably about 300 feet from the ground. Yep, I was terrified being up there, but it was so neat to be able to see all that we saw from there. Of course, Steven had the camera, and he had already passed this point and started his descent, so I wasn't sure what photos he had taken. (he only took about 5 photos, one of course a self-portrait).
We also did the tour through the Tower of London on Tuesday, then headed back to Southport. I also discovered at the drug store, that you can buy a codeine/tylenol product over the counter with no prescription. I needed this, as I was having some pains from my back due to all the walking, and other assorted pains. But codeine, over the counter?
Wednesday Mom and I window shopped and had lunch at Sal's (the Italian restaurant they frequent), and just had a lazy day all around. Thursday we left for York for an overnight trip with Mom and Marion, and I'll blog about that later. I'm about blogged out at the moment, plus I need to get ready to go into town here in a bit.
I hope everyone has had a wonderful week, and will have a wonderful weekend.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
May 26, 2012 - Liverpool, and more fun
We got up this morning and headed to Liverpool to do the Magical Mystery Tour and visit the Beatles museum. I love riding through the countryside here, it is so beautiful! It was also interesting to see the shipyards and industrial areas in Liverpool, and all the wind turbines that are there near the shore. We had a nice tour on the bus, seeing many things throughout Liverpool.
After the tour, we went to lunch at this steakhouse that is at the Albert Docks, which is where the Beatles museum is. There was so much to see at the museum, I really think it would take more than one visit to see and hear it all.
While we were there, I was reminded that the shirt I was wearing tends to come unbuttoned at times, showing things off I'd rather leave private. I tried my best to keep check on this, and did a great job. Until dinner time. We went to Salvatorre's for dinner, and at one point I glanced down and the top 2 buttons of my shirt were undone! That had my shirt open to halfway down my stomach! I said "oh shit!" and grabbed at my shirt to button it, and Brian noticed this old man at the next table just a grinning. Apparently, he'd gotten an eyeful. Oh well, I made sure to pay attention to the shirt the rest of the evening! (and will be sewing a stitch or 2 in those top buttonholes before I wear this thing again).
Had an awesome time at dinner - we caught Brian dancing a crazy dance on the landing on the stairs, coming back into the dining area - and so did the table behind us! We were applauding him as he approached the table, and so did they! And as they left, the gentleman came up and told Brian that he was the best entertainment all evening! It was so funny!
Not sure what we're doing tomorrow - we are trying to arrange a couple of day or brief overnight trips to a couple of different places. It's 12:15am on the 27th now, England time, so I suppose we'll be getting up in the morning and making plans for the day.
I posted all the pictures we've taken so far on Facebook in a new album. Enjoy!
After the tour, we went to lunch at this steakhouse that is at the Albert Docks, which is where the Beatles museum is. There was so much to see at the museum, I really think it would take more than one visit to see and hear it all.
While we were there, I was reminded that the shirt I was wearing tends to come unbuttoned at times, showing things off I'd rather leave private. I tried my best to keep check on this, and did a great job. Until dinner time. We went to Salvatorre's for dinner, and at one point I glanced down and the top 2 buttons of my shirt were undone! That had my shirt open to halfway down my stomach! I said "oh shit!" and grabbed at my shirt to button it, and Brian noticed this old man at the next table just a grinning. Apparently, he'd gotten an eyeful. Oh well, I made sure to pay attention to the shirt the rest of the evening! (and will be sewing a stitch or 2 in those top buttonholes before I wear this thing again).
Had an awesome time at dinner - we caught Brian dancing a crazy dance on the landing on the stairs, coming back into the dining area - and so did the table behind us! We were applauding him as he approached the table, and so did they! And as they left, the gentleman came up and told Brian that he was the best entertainment all evening! It was so funny!
Not sure what we're doing tomorrow - we are trying to arrange a couple of day or brief overnight trips to a couple of different places. It's 12:15am on the 27th now, England time, so I suppose we'll be getting up in the morning and making plans for the day.
I posted all the pictures we've taken so far on Facebook in a new album. Enjoy!
Friday, May 25, 2012
A note from across the pond.....
I see that I'm incredibly popular the last few days, not just in the good old USA with the usual folks, but also in various countries throughout the world. Not sure why people in India, Norway, and Germany, for example, are so interested in my blog, but it is what it is.
So, I'm just dropping a note from jolly old England - been here since Wednesday morning around 9am local time. The time change is a biotch, and from what Marion says, it will be worse when I get back home. Oh well, that's what energy drinks, pills and coffee are for!
Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it here fine, we are all having a great time, and now it's time for me to take a nap. I probably will not blog a lot while I'm over here, but will for sure have a blog when I return home. We are taking a lot of pictures of things over here - there are a lot of sights to see, and many places left for us to go, before I return home and Brian goes back to his deployment.
Have a great memorial day weekend folks - we will likely head to Liverpool this weekend for the Beatles museum and some other stuff. Stay safe, have a few cold ones for me, and I'll catch y'all up later!
So, I'm just dropping a note from jolly old England - been here since Wednesday morning around 9am local time. The time change is a biotch, and from what Marion says, it will be worse when I get back home. Oh well, that's what energy drinks, pills and coffee are for!
Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it here fine, we are all having a great time, and now it's time for me to take a nap. I probably will not blog a lot while I'm over here, but will for sure have a blog when I return home. We are taking a lot of pictures of things over here - there are a lot of sights to see, and many places left for us to go, before I return home and Brian goes back to his deployment.
Have a great memorial day weekend folks - we will likely head to Liverpool this weekend for the Beatles museum and some other stuff. Stay safe, have a few cold ones for me, and I'll catch y'all up later!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Sorry.....
Okay, before anyone reads anything into any of the stuff to follow - it was NOT posted due to any particular individual or situation. I recently found these quotes and thought I'd share, because they're good. That's not to say that they don't apply to any particular individual or situation, because some of them have (or still do!), but I'm not pointing fingers, bringing up personal situations, or blaming anyone for anything. So, with that said - don't assume any of it is about you or something you were involved with! I just wanted to share some good stuff!
A little girl was asked what forgiveness is...
She gave a beautiful answer...
"It is the fragrance that flowers give when they are crushed..."
If you aren't willing to forgive someone, then you don't truly love them. [forgive, yes, but forget - no]
Refusing to forgive someone is like drinking poison, and waiting for the other person to die. [yep, I've done this before]
Please don't lie to me, unless you're absolutely sure I'll never find out the truth. [My own personal thought on this - if you're a man lying to a woman - you really think the woman won't find out? Ha ha ha! But seriously, regardless of who the liar is, male or female - why carry the guilt of a lie around with you? Just don't lie - sure the truth may hurt, but not for nearly as long, or as deeply as the pain of a lie - not much hurts worse than knowing you weren't worth the truth - and lies piss me off to no end]
When you forgive and still hold a grudge...is like driving forward with your foot on the brake. [oh crap, I'm so guilty of this]
Never ruin an apology with an excuse. [boy ain't that the truth - totally negates the apology when the apologist has to explain and offers lame excuses]
Promises mean everything. But once you break them, sorry means nothing.
If you are sorry why did you do it?
If you really were sorry, you wouldn’t have done it in the first place. [And let's face it - you usually know, before you do something, whether it's appropriate or acceptable, or not, and if you're going to catch grief for it. If you're going to have to apologize for your actions, then perhaps you need to rethink your behavior.]
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
One more week!
Yep, one more week til I leave for England. I'm started to get really, really excited. There's so much to do to get ready to go, yet I haven't started doing ANY of it! Can anyone say "Queen of Procrastination"?
Went to interval class tonight - it was pretty funny. About 10 minutes before class started, about 8 of the class regulars ran over to the door, hovering like vultures, waiting until they could run in and grab their regular spot. It was pretty funny - I mean, I understand preferring a certain spot for whatever reason (best angle to see the instructor, close to the water fountain or exit, best place for the breeze from the ceiling fans, etc.) but God forbid if you get there before one of them and take their spot. They will truly give you the stinkeye, and some of them will even ask you to move out of "their" spot!
Anyways, not much else to say for tonight, it's past my bedtime. I hope you all had a great Monday, and will have a terrific Tuesday.
Went to interval class tonight - it was pretty funny. About 10 minutes before class started, about 8 of the class regulars ran over to the door, hovering like vultures, waiting until they could run in and grab their regular spot. It was pretty funny - I mean, I understand preferring a certain spot for whatever reason (best angle to see the instructor, close to the water fountain or exit, best place for the breeze from the ceiling fans, etc.) but God forbid if you get there before one of them and take their spot. They will truly give you the stinkeye, and some of them will even ask you to move out of "their" spot!
Anyways, not much else to say for tonight, it's past my bedtime. I hope you all had a great Monday, and will have a terrific Tuesday.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Today has been fun, and funny......
So I get up this morning and decide to try the chunking highlights before I go to the gym. Imagine my disappointment when I see absolutely NO difference in the color of my hair after it's been washed. Oh well, at least I didn't screw it up! Now I have to decide if I want to try again, with some other option for the coloring.
I did manage to make it to the gym today - this makes 5 times this week. I wish I had been going 5 times every week for the last 6 months, I would really have been making some progress. And I'm not sure what it is, but something in me has changed over the last few weeks, and I'm really starting to sweat - a LOT - while I do classes. In months past, I would barely break a sweat, but the last few weeks, I've left with very sweaty hair and clothing. I'm just not one that sweats a lot - I can walk at a pretty quick pace on the treadmill for over 20 minutes before I'll start breaking a sweat. Strange.
Oh, that annoying heifer was in class again today - you know, the one that goes "woooo!" waaaaayyyy too much. I know it's mean and inappropriate, but I couldn't help but wish she'd choke on that damn gum she was furiously chewing on. It did seem that she didn't "woooo!" quite as much today as before. Seriously - WTF is up with her and her "wooo!" crap?!?
I got home and showered and fiddled around a little while, then Momma Clydie and I went to Walmart, the package store, and the Michael's craft store. We were walking through the craft store, when I saw some people coming out of the section we were going into, and they both had these evil grins on their faces and devilish laughs. Lo and behold, we walk over there, and I told Momma C to hold her breath, I think someone had shit over there. Apparently Goof and Goofier had ripped a huge nasty fart in that section, and let me tell you - that stench lingered waaaayyyyy too long. I seriously thought maybe one of them had pooped a pile over there somewhere! It was gross.
I think I am over my aversion to tequila. I picked up some strawberry margarita mix and tequila tonight, and just finished my second margarita. I'm feeling quite relaxed right now, and am parked on my bed, trying to watch tv and talk to Brian online. Gonna be a great night!
I want ice cream. :-(
I did manage to make it to the gym today - this makes 5 times this week. I wish I had been going 5 times every week for the last 6 months, I would really have been making some progress. And I'm not sure what it is, but something in me has changed over the last few weeks, and I'm really starting to sweat - a LOT - while I do classes. In months past, I would barely break a sweat, but the last few weeks, I've left with very sweaty hair and clothing. I'm just not one that sweats a lot - I can walk at a pretty quick pace on the treadmill for over 20 minutes before I'll start breaking a sweat. Strange.
Oh, that annoying heifer was in class again today - you know, the one that goes "woooo!" waaaaayyyy too much. I know it's mean and inappropriate, but I couldn't help but wish she'd choke on that damn gum she was furiously chewing on. It did seem that she didn't "woooo!" quite as much today as before. Seriously - WTF is up with her and her "wooo!" crap?!?
I got home and showered and fiddled around a little while, then Momma Clydie and I went to Walmart, the package store, and the Michael's craft store. We were walking through the craft store, when I saw some people coming out of the section we were going into, and they both had these evil grins on their faces and devilish laughs. Lo and behold, we walk over there, and I told Momma C to hold her breath, I think someone had shit over there. Apparently Goof and Goofier had ripped a huge nasty fart in that section, and let me tell you - that stench lingered waaaayyyyy too long. I seriously thought maybe one of them had pooped a pile over there somewhere! It was gross.
I think I am over my aversion to tequila. I picked up some strawberry margarita mix and tequila tonight, and just finished my second margarita. I'm feeling quite relaxed right now, and am parked on my bed, trying to watch tv and talk to Brian online. Gonna be a great night!
I want ice cream. :-(
Friday, May 11, 2012
It's Friday......
and I just don't know what to do with myself. There are so many things I could do this weekend, many of them that I should do, but right now, at this very moment, I am thinking of doing nothing more than laying in my bed all weekend. My bed is where I've been since shortly after dinner tonight, and it is likely where I will stay until the boys wake me up for their morning walk around 7am or so. (God, I pray they let me sleep that late!)
Some of the stuff I want to do this weekend - put chunky highlights in my hair, go to Interval class in the morning, clean house, start getting my shit together for my trip to England, just to name a few things. At the very least, I need to do the first 3 things, and at least create my list of things to take to England. Whenever I travel, especially if it's for more than just an overnight trip, I make a written list of everything that I need to pack, so that I won't forget anything. I mentally go through my daily routine, writing things down as I go through each task in my mind. It helps - a LOT - as I've forgotten some important things on trips earlier in life without doing this.
The highlights in my hair - something I've thought about doing for a while - if I screw them up, oh well, lesson learned, and to Sally's I go for an all over color to camoflage the errors. I'll post pictures when I finally do the highlights and you all can judge for yourselves.
The gym in the morning - this is an every weekend battle for me, to go or not to go. I hem-haw around on Saturday mornings, trying to talk myself into/out of going, and the last couple of Saturdays, I've ended up going. I was quite energized last week afterwards, at least until Steven and I went back out that afternoon, then I had a case of the dreaded sleepies. Maybe I will be energized tomorrow and can come home and get busy around the house. :-)
Cleaning house - that really needs to be done, especially the vacuuming of my room and bathroom. Momma Clydie vacuums the living room every couple of days - it's really necessary right now, as the boys are shedding, Gabriel more so than Dominion right now. I venture a guess that I have enough dog hair in my bedroom and bathroom floors, that I could knit an afghan with it. And the hair on my bed! Wow!
I wish I had some Bailey's right now - it would be so good, and so relaxing. But, I don't. There's rum, which I don't drink, and amaretto, for which I have nothing to mix it with. There's beer, but I'm just not in a beer drinking mood, and I don't think my tummy could handle a beer right now.
Guess I'll get some tea and watch a little more tv before bedtime. I hope you all get what you want accomplished this weekend, and I hope I can get my arse in gear tomorrow as well!
Some of the stuff I want to do this weekend - put chunky highlights in my hair, go to Interval class in the morning, clean house, start getting my shit together for my trip to England, just to name a few things. At the very least, I need to do the first 3 things, and at least create my list of things to take to England. Whenever I travel, especially if it's for more than just an overnight trip, I make a written list of everything that I need to pack, so that I won't forget anything. I mentally go through my daily routine, writing things down as I go through each task in my mind. It helps - a LOT - as I've forgotten some important things on trips earlier in life without doing this.
The highlights in my hair - something I've thought about doing for a while - if I screw them up, oh well, lesson learned, and to Sally's I go for an all over color to camoflage the errors. I'll post pictures when I finally do the highlights and you all can judge for yourselves.
The gym in the morning - this is an every weekend battle for me, to go or not to go. I hem-haw around on Saturday mornings, trying to talk myself into/out of going, and the last couple of Saturdays, I've ended up going. I was quite energized last week afterwards, at least until Steven and I went back out that afternoon, then I had a case of the dreaded sleepies. Maybe I will be energized tomorrow and can come home and get busy around the house. :-)
Cleaning house - that really needs to be done, especially the vacuuming of my room and bathroom. Momma Clydie vacuums the living room every couple of days - it's really necessary right now, as the boys are shedding, Gabriel more so than Dominion right now. I venture a guess that I have enough dog hair in my bedroom and bathroom floors, that I could knit an afghan with it. And the hair on my bed! Wow!
I wish I had some Bailey's right now - it would be so good, and so relaxing. But, I don't. There's rum, which I don't drink, and amaretto, for which I have nothing to mix it with. There's beer, but I'm just not in a beer drinking mood, and I don't think my tummy could handle a beer right now.
Guess I'll get some tea and watch a little more tv before bedtime. I hope you all get what you want accomplished this weekend, and I hope I can get my arse in gear tomorrow as well!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
45 THINGS A GIRL WANTS, BUT WON’T ASK FOR:
1. Touch her waist.
2. Actually talk to her.
3. Share secrets with her.
…4. Give her your jacket.
5. Kiss her slowly.
Are you remembering this?
6. Hug her.
7. Hold her.
8. Laugh with her.
9. Invite her somewhere.
10. Hangout with her and your friends together.
KEEP READING ..
11. Smile with her.
12. Take pictures with her.
13. Pull her onto your lap.
14. When she says she loves you more, deny it. Fight back.
15. When her friends say “I love her more than you”, deny it. Fight back and hug her tight so she can’t get to her friends. It makes her feel loved.
Are you thinking of someone?
16. Always hug her and say I love you whenever you see her.
17. Kiss her unexpectedly.
18. Hug her from behind around the waist.
19. Tell her she’s beautiful.
20. Tell her the way you feel about her.
One last thing you need to do to show her you actually do mean it.
21. Open doors for her, walk her to her car - it makes her feel protected, plus it never hurts to act like a gentleman.
22. Tell her she’s your everything - only if you mean it.
23. If it seems like there is something wrong, ask her - if she denies something being wrong, it means SHE DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT - so just hug her.
24. Make her feel loved.
25. Kiss her in front of OTHER girls you know!
WE MIGHT DENY IT BUT WE ACTUALLY LIKE AND KINDA WANT YOU TO TICKLE US ..
26. Don’t lie to her.
27. DON’T cheat on her.
28. Take her ANYWHERE she wants.
29. Text message or call her in the morning and tell her have a good day at school, and how much you miss her.
30. Be there for her whenever she needs you, and even when she doesn’t need you, just be there so she’ll know that she can always count on you.
ARE YOU STILL READING THIS? YOU BETTER, BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT.
31. Hold her close when she’s cold so she can hold you too.
32. When you are alone hold her close and kiss her.
33. Kiss her on the cheek; (it will give her the hint that you want to kiss her).
34. While in the movies, put your arm around her and then she will automatically put her head on your shoulder, then lean in and tilt her chin up and kiss her lightly.
35. Don’t ever tell her to leave even jokingly or act like you’re mad. If she’s upset, comfort her.
REMEMBER ALL THESE THINGS WHEN YOU ARE WITH HER NEXT ..
36. When people diss her, stand up for her.
37. Look deep into her eyes and tell her you love her.
38. Lay down under the stars and put her head on your chest so she can listen to the steady beat of your heart, link your fingers together while you whisper to her as she rests her eyes and listens to you.
39. When walking next to each other grab her hand.
40. When you hug her, hold her in your arms as long as possible.
MAKE SURE SHE KNOWS SHES LOVED.
41. Call or text her at night to wish her sweet dreams.
42. Comfort her when she cries and wipe away her tears.
43. Take her for long walks at night.
44. Always remind her how much you love her.
45. Sit on top of her and tell her how much you love her and then bend down to her face and kiss her while you’re sitting on her.
You’ll never know when she needs just a little more love .. ♥.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Boy I'm Glad I Did It!
Had a totally freaking AWESOME workout in interval class this morning! I worked really hard and burned a bigger sweat than I have in a long time. Such a satisfying feeling, to know that I worked hard in there. My only issue with the class this morning was this one woman kept going "wooo!" during class. I know that shouldn't have bothered me, but damn, she would not STFU. I mean, it seemed like every 30 seconds or so, you'd hear "wooo!". I finally looked over to see who was doing it, and it was this woman that was smacking and chewing her gum so furiously, it was like watching a cow on speed, chewing their cud. I found her excitement for the class to be extremely distracting and quite annoying.
Ran over to McDonough to hit Petsmart for some food for the pups, and ran into an old friend from high school. We chatted a bit until Mom called from across the pond, then I went about my business to get the dog food. I chatted with Mom all through my foray through Petsmart, and to Randar's Reptiles (for snake food), and headed home.
So now it's showertime, then Steven and I are going out to run errands (to include 1 more rat for Prissy - she's really hungry today!). Hopefully I'll still be energized when we get home and I can get some stuff done around the house. I need to make my packing list for England, and start putting things aside that I'll be taking with me, and I also want to go through my closet and either pack stuff up that isn't used regularly (like all the extra blankets and pillows and stuff), and file the box of papers that's in there. I can't file, though, until I go through the filing cabinet and pack up all of Steven's old school papers from elementary school and shred other documents that I no longer need. I really need to organize that filing cabinet so that it will be easy to just file documents rather than stack them on my desk or stash them in a box.
Anyways, gonna go wash away the sweat and find something to get into. I hope y'all have a great weekend!
Ran over to McDonough to hit Petsmart for some food for the pups, and ran into an old friend from high school. We chatted a bit until Mom called from across the pond, then I went about my business to get the dog food. I chatted with Mom all through my foray through Petsmart, and to Randar's Reptiles (for snake food), and headed home.
So now it's showertime, then Steven and I are going out to run errands (to include 1 more rat for Prissy - she's really hungry today!). Hopefully I'll still be energized when we get home and I can get some stuff done around the house. I need to make my packing list for England, and start putting things aside that I'll be taking with me, and I also want to go through my closet and either pack stuff up that isn't used regularly (like all the extra blankets and pillows and stuff), and file the box of papers that's in there. I can't file, though, until I go through the filing cabinet and pack up all of Steven's old school papers from elementary school and shred other documents that I no longer need. I really need to organize that filing cabinet so that it will be easy to just file documents rather than stack them on my desk or stash them in a box.
Anyways, gonna go wash away the sweat and find something to get into. I hope y'all have a great weekend!
Just not feeling it.......
Sitting here this morning, with my usual Saturday morning internal debate of "should I go to the gym, or stay home and do stuff?" Of course I need to go to the gym, and of course going to the gym doesn't mean I can't do anything when I get finished. Interval class will do one of 2 things to me - it will either energize me, and I'll feel like doing stuff when I get finished, or it will exhaust me and I won't want to do a thing when I get home.
Ms Clydie and I went through family pictures last night - I got to see a lot of Brian's family, and a lot of old pictures of Brian. Of course Steven wants me to scan them and post them on Facebook, as there are some really cute pictures of Brian from his youth, but I won't do that. Well, at least not yet. :-) And of course there were some old pictures of my family that we went through - love those hairdo's in the 60's and early 70's that my mom had!
I'm having some feelings I just can't shake, some stuff having to do with old wounds that just haven't healed. Things from my 'past life' that are lingering - thoughts of how things were and how I was treated regarding some things, and I just have that sick, senseless feeling that I may go through something similar again. These feelings are senseless, as I truly know in my heart and mind that I won't, but some things were just so ingrained in me for years, it's hard to shake it off.
Well, it's getting time for my 2nd cup of coffee, and to get ready to head to the gym shortly. Hopefully the gym will energize me and I will come home and get busy doing stuff. Y'all have a great weekend.
Ms Clydie and I went through family pictures last night - I got to see a lot of Brian's family, and a lot of old pictures of Brian. Of course Steven wants me to scan them and post them on Facebook, as there are some really cute pictures of Brian from his youth, but I won't do that. Well, at least not yet. :-) And of course there were some old pictures of my family that we went through - love those hairdo's in the 60's and early 70's that my mom had!
I'm having some feelings I just can't shake, some stuff having to do with old wounds that just haven't healed. Things from my 'past life' that are lingering - thoughts of how things were and how I was treated regarding some things, and I just have that sick, senseless feeling that I may go through something similar again. These feelings are senseless, as I truly know in my heart and mind that I won't, but some things were just so ingrained in me for years, it's hard to shake it off.
Well, it's getting time for my 2nd cup of coffee, and to get ready to head to the gym shortly. Hopefully the gym will energize me and I will come home and get busy doing stuff. Y'all have a great weekend.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Paralyzed........
I know, I know, it's been a while since I've posted anything meaningful, entertaining, or useful. There's a lot of reasons for that - exhaustion, lack of motivation, busy, and I just don't plain feel like it. I've had a lot of things to say and to share, but for one reason or another, I just haven't bothered sharing. I don't even know that I can remember it all now in order to be able to share it. So tonight's entry will likely be random and all over the place.
Had my first nightmare about my trip to England Monday night. Dreamed that I left our tickets at home, and Delta couldn't find our names on any flights. We were traveling with a man, I don't recall who, seemed like maybe my dad or my brother Robert, I honestly have no idea. I was frustrated, and trying to think of everything to tell them how to find us, so that we wouldn't miss our flight. I do remember going through part of the airport afterwards, hoping they'd let us on a flight, and this airport was quite interesting. Seems like I've had dreams about this particular airport before, but it's been a while and I don't remember much about the previous dreams. I woke up before we got anywhere. :-(
One of my OCD quirks is kicking in pretty hard right now. I feel silly sharing it but I've heard of other people having the same quirk - obsessing about getting papercuts on my eyeballs and/or eyelids - and this feeling is quite intense this week. Go ahead, I figure some of you will make fun of me but I don't care - this is what it is. Too bad my OCD doesn't have to do with something useful like housekeeping! LOL I know it's stress related - there's a lot going on in my life right now - and these weird feelings won't stop until the stress is relieved, one way or another. A lot of my stress is work related - I'm not going to go into details, but there's a lot of stuff happening at work that is stressing me out.
Other stressors - trip to England - I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to be going, but there's so much I want to do and get done before I leave, both personally and work-related, and it's stressful. I need to sit down and plan out the next 26 days. OMG only 26 days!!!!
I am house-hunting. That is stressful in and of itself. I've put an offer in on a house and am waiting to hear if it was accepted by the seller. Might know something tomorrow some time. Regardless of how it turns out, th gym will be a great outlet for the stress tomorrow afternoon - work off the disappointment if we don't get it, or the excitement if we do. I'm resolved to accept either outcome - what is meant to be, will be. I really like this one - it's in a nice neighborhood, in a good area, and Steven would be going to a school that is ranked much higher in the state than where he currently goes.
My puppies got out Monday morning - they were gone from the house for over an hour. Ms Clydie called me to come help her, that she'd driven the neighborhood and looked everywhere she knew to look, and didn't see them. I raced out of the office, called Michael and asked him to come help, and when I got home we went out searching in different directions. I rode through the older part of the trailer park, then I rode over to the dump, thinking maybe the boys had gone through the hole in the fence to track or chase some deer or other wildlife that pass through there. I stopped at the dump office and asked them to call me if they saw them at the dump, and their security guard said he'd seen them about an hour earlier at a neighborhood down the street.
I rode to the neighborhood next to the one he mentioned, and asked a man that was working out by the street if he'd seen them. He'd also seen them in that neighborhood, but he said he saw 2 men in a white truck stopped by them, and assumed they'd picked them up. My heart sank - deep and fast - as I drove to that neighborhood. I started weeping as I drove through there, thinking about where they could be, if those men had picked them up, if they'd run further, if they were hurt......truly depressed, I drove towards my house, and my phone rang as I drove through my neighborhood - it was the lady at the dump - the boys were running down the railroad tracks across from the dump entrance! I floored it out of the trailer park, down the road, passing Ms Clydie like she was standing still - I flew over to the railroad tracks by the dump - about a mile away from the house - and got out of the car.
The dump lady called me again to tell me that the pups were on the tracks when she'd seen them a minute earlier, and they were running towards Hampton. I walked over to the tracks and could see them about 200 yards down from me. I started calling their names, running towards them, and they turned around to look at me. They hesitated for a minute, then they came running to me. I grabbed Gabriel's collar, but Dominion wouldn't let me get his, he just ran back towards where I had parked. Gabriel struggled so much that I picked him up and toted him for a bit, then had to put him down. Dominion had disappeared between the semi-trucks that were parked near my car, and I hoped and prayed that he was waiting by my car - and he was! I was so happy to have found my babies!
And of course all the stress I've had lately, combined with the fact that it's about PMS time, means my acne is flaring pretty badly. I'm almost 44 freaking years old, yet I still get acne. You'd think the tanning bed would dry that shit up, but nope, it doesn't. I started using a new lotion, and I'm wondering it that might be what's contributing to the acne I'm getting on my chest. It doesn't explain what I'm getting on my back or my face and neck, but who knows. Guess I need to check and see if it's one of those that's not supposed to cause acne, or not, and perhaps stop using it on my chest.
Anyways it's only 10pm and I'm already showered and ready for bed. Call Ripley's!
Had my first nightmare about my trip to England Monday night. Dreamed that I left our tickets at home, and Delta couldn't find our names on any flights. We were traveling with a man, I don't recall who, seemed like maybe my dad or my brother Robert, I honestly have no idea. I was frustrated, and trying to think of everything to tell them how to find us, so that we wouldn't miss our flight. I do remember going through part of the airport afterwards, hoping they'd let us on a flight, and this airport was quite interesting. Seems like I've had dreams about this particular airport before, but it's been a while and I don't remember much about the previous dreams. I woke up before we got anywhere. :-(
One of my OCD quirks is kicking in pretty hard right now. I feel silly sharing it but I've heard of other people having the same quirk - obsessing about getting papercuts on my eyeballs and/or eyelids - and this feeling is quite intense this week. Go ahead, I figure some of you will make fun of me but I don't care - this is what it is. Too bad my OCD doesn't have to do with something useful like housekeeping! LOL I know it's stress related - there's a lot going on in my life right now - and these weird feelings won't stop until the stress is relieved, one way or another. A lot of my stress is work related - I'm not going to go into details, but there's a lot of stuff happening at work that is stressing me out.
Other stressors - trip to England - I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to be going, but there's so much I want to do and get done before I leave, both personally and work-related, and it's stressful. I need to sit down and plan out the next 26 days. OMG only 26 days!!!!
I am house-hunting. That is stressful in and of itself. I've put an offer in on a house and am waiting to hear if it was accepted by the seller. Might know something tomorrow some time. Regardless of how it turns out, th gym will be a great outlet for the stress tomorrow afternoon - work off the disappointment if we don't get it, or the excitement if we do. I'm resolved to accept either outcome - what is meant to be, will be. I really like this one - it's in a nice neighborhood, in a good area, and Steven would be going to a school that is ranked much higher in the state than where he currently goes.
My puppies got out Monday morning - they were gone from the house for over an hour. Ms Clydie called me to come help her, that she'd driven the neighborhood and looked everywhere she knew to look, and didn't see them. I raced out of the office, called Michael and asked him to come help, and when I got home we went out searching in different directions. I rode through the older part of the trailer park, then I rode over to the dump, thinking maybe the boys had gone through the hole in the fence to track or chase some deer or other wildlife that pass through there. I stopped at the dump office and asked them to call me if they saw them at the dump, and their security guard said he'd seen them about an hour earlier at a neighborhood down the street.
I rode to the neighborhood next to the one he mentioned, and asked a man that was working out by the street if he'd seen them. He'd also seen them in that neighborhood, but he said he saw 2 men in a white truck stopped by them, and assumed they'd picked them up. My heart sank - deep and fast - as I drove to that neighborhood. I started weeping as I drove through there, thinking about where they could be, if those men had picked them up, if they'd run further, if they were hurt......truly depressed, I drove towards my house, and my phone rang as I drove through my neighborhood - it was the lady at the dump - the boys were running down the railroad tracks across from the dump entrance! I floored it out of the trailer park, down the road, passing Ms Clydie like she was standing still - I flew over to the railroad tracks by the dump - about a mile away from the house - and got out of the car.
The dump lady called me again to tell me that the pups were on the tracks when she'd seen them a minute earlier, and they were running towards Hampton. I walked over to the tracks and could see them about 200 yards down from me. I started calling their names, running towards them, and they turned around to look at me. They hesitated for a minute, then they came running to me. I grabbed Gabriel's collar, but Dominion wouldn't let me get his, he just ran back towards where I had parked. Gabriel struggled so much that I picked him up and toted him for a bit, then had to put him down. Dominion had disappeared between the semi-trucks that were parked near my car, and I hoped and prayed that he was waiting by my car - and he was! I was so happy to have found my babies!
And of course all the stress I've had lately, combined with the fact that it's about PMS time, means my acne is flaring pretty badly. I'm almost 44 freaking years old, yet I still get acne. You'd think the tanning bed would dry that shit up, but nope, it doesn't. I started using a new lotion, and I'm wondering it that might be what's contributing to the acne I'm getting on my chest. It doesn't explain what I'm getting on my back or my face and neck, but who knows. Guess I need to check and see if it's one of those that's not supposed to cause acne, or not, and perhaps stop using it on my chest.
Anyways it's only 10pm and I'm already showered and ready for bed. Call Ripley's!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Monday.....blech
Patience is a virtue that some of us don't have. I have tons of it at times, but at others, I have zilch. Like now. It's Monday morning, and I am still half asleep, not wanting to go to work, but knowing that I must.
Anyways, just stopping in for a brief moment to drop a line or 2 in the good old blog, since I haven't written anything new in at least a week or so. I'm still alive and kicking, raising hell and having fun. And I can't wait to go to England next month. I leave 4 weeks from TODAY!!!!! Woot woot!!!!!
I will try to sit down tonight or soon and write something more meaningful and detailed, but this is it for the moment. As much as Mondays SUCK - I hope y'all have a great one - we are here, on this side of th dirt, so it can't be all that bad.
Anyways, just stopping in for a brief moment to drop a line or 2 in the good old blog, since I haven't written anything new in at least a week or so. I'm still alive and kicking, raising hell and having fun. And I can't wait to go to England next month. I leave 4 weeks from TODAY!!!!! Woot woot!!!!!
I will try to sit down tonight or soon and write something more meaningful and detailed, but this is it for the moment. As much as Mondays SUCK - I hope y'all have a great one - we are here, on this side of th dirt, so it can't be all that bad.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Hmmmmm......
Had a really weird dream last night - dreamt I was in South Carolina, driving at night, and couldn't stay awake. I was driving down Two Notch Road, towards the mall (I think it was called Columbia Mall?), but the road looked more like Freeman Road over here between Hampton and Jonesboro. I remember I kept closing my eyes, relying on my memory to guide me on the road, peeking every once in a while to make sure I wasn't going to hit anyone or anything.
I remember struggling with trying to open my eyes to see where I was going, and just having a hard time in general with driving. I was so very sleepy. Then I realized that I was dreaming, and forced myself to wake up and make a conscious effort to stop that dream. And apparently it worked, as it didn't continue.
I went to a dream interpretation website to see if I could get any insight on what this dream might mean, and some of what I found makes sense, and some of it didn't. Oh well. I really hate some of the dreams I've been having lately, but of course I can't seem to remember any of them. This one last night, I was so profoundly sleepy, it was amazing.
I remember struggling with trying to open my eyes to see where I was going, and just having a hard time in general with driving. I was so very sleepy. Then I realized that I was dreaming, and forced myself to wake up and make a conscious effort to stop that dream. And apparently it worked, as it didn't continue.
I went to a dream interpretation website to see if I could get any insight on what this dream might mean, and some of what I found makes sense, and some of it didn't. Oh well. I really hate some of the dreams I've been having lately, but of course I can't seem to remember any of them. This one last night, I was so profoundly sleepy, it was amazing.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Not a surprise.....
The one I blogged about on the 10th, that met a wonderful guy on the 9th and couldn't wait to change her relationship status online? Yeah, that's already over. And she's mad at him, for not being everything he seemed and claimed to be. I suppose that's fair to be angry at him if he misrepresented himself or lied to her. But damn - how many guys will lie to a girl if they think they can get a quick piece of ass?
My own worst enemy.....
I know that we are our own worst enemy - we are our harshest critic. I don't need anyone's help in making me feel bad about myself, I do enough of that all on my own. Of course when it's a pile-on by others, that just exacerbates the feelings I have towards myself, and who needs that? It's a choice to let others bother you, regardless of the circumstances, and it's a lot easier to deal with the comments of others, than about your own thoughts in your head.
Just to be clear - I am not looking for confidence boosting from anyone today - I'm in a great mood and a great frame of mind, and I am certainly not fishing for compliments from anyone. I was having a bad day on Thursday when I saw that post on Facebook, and started this entry. I just chose to stop where I was at, because I was headed downhill on the self-doubt train and knew I needed to stop and get my perspective back. All is well in my world!
Titty sprinkles.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
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